To be a king
by Oblivian03
Summary: Sometimes you are born a king, sometimes you are made one. Sometimes you are simply chosen by another force. In some cases, it is a combination of all three. In all cases, the path to get there is a hard one indeed. For prompt. WARNING: Violence.
1. Into the forest

**I do not own the Hobbit (as per usual).**

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**Alright, this is a prompt that I am finally getting around to from BM Originally; Young Fili and Kili are in a group in the forest with their uncle and other dwarves (their age and adults) being trained to track, etc. and they come across a group of orcs. A story of how Fili became kingly material. The first chapter is a bit short, but from next chapter onwards they will get longer (and better). **

**Also, Kili is 11 in this (47) - I might be wrong though, so feel free to point out if I am so I can change it if necessary.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 1: Into the forest**

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"Pay attention and stop lagging behind," Fili heard Dwalin growl at several of his friends as they began to lag behind, "This is no time for childish acting now. All, or at least most of you are, from this moment on, training to be in the guard and that includes learning how to survive in the wilderness."

The dwarf sounded so much more serious than usual that the blonde had to stifle a laugh. It would do no good for him, a nephew of the great Thorin Oakenshield to find the situation funny, especially not when his uncle was leading the whole expedition.

They were currently tramping through the woods, a small group of adults and a larger group of boys deemed old enough to begin training in weapons and not already apprenticed to a stone mason or other such master. Fili was among the eldest of the children, and Kili was easily the youngest aged only 47. Right before the trip, their uncle had made Fili swear to keep an eye out for his brother, a promise the blonde had needed no encouraging to keep. The small brunette bouncing along by his side was more precious to him than his own life.

"How long will we be out here?" Kili asked for the hundredth time. Fili sighed inwardly before dutifully answering his brother.

"Three days," he said yet again, trying not to sound slightly frustrated for his brother's sake. Sometimes Kili just did not know when he got on someone's nerves.

"Do you think Mister Dwalin will lose all his hair by then?" his brother asked, innocently repeating what he had overheard Balin mentioning to Thorin just before they left. Now Fili really had to try to keep himself from laughing out loud. This earned him a few curious glances from the other boys walking beside him.

"I do not think so," he finally managed to say, slightly red in the face from his fight to keep control of himself beforehand.

"Oh," Kili said in a small voice, looking down at the ground before looking back up, "Do you think this will be fun?"

"Yes, Kili," Fili breathed, glaring at a few of his peers as they skilfully hid snickers. Some of them were lucky enough not to have little brothers tagging along. Of course, those in this situation kept to themselves, as did most of the younger ones, a fair few looking around warily at their surroundings, not one seeming to share his brother's enthusiasm. But then again, both he and his brother had been taken into the forest several times before by both their uncle and Dwalin, and once before by their father when he had still been alive. But that had been a long time ago.

"Do you thin-"

"Why don't you go and talk to some of your friends for a while?" Fili interjected. Kili pulled a face, pouting.

"But I want to talk to you," he said, sounding annoyed at the suggestion, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No," his brother quickly replied, "It's just that Clave looks lonely." And the young dwarf did, walking by himself, eyes fixated on the ground. He seemed as if he did not want to exactly be on the trip and Fili couldn't really blame him; he was only a year older than Kili and this was the first real time he had been away from his home for a long period of time.

"You come too," his brother said, latching onto his hand in order to drag Fili over to the dwarfling.

"Very well then," Fili conceded, seeing no way he could diplomatically get himself out of this. At least his brother's questions would not be completely directed at him, and he had to admit his sibling's cheery and curious outlook on life tended to rub off on him.

"Hey," he heard the brunette say to Clave, only half listening to the conversation as he focused on the back of his uncle up ahead.

The blonde knew his uncle would be watching him during this little exercise, seeing if he could handle the pressure that would no doubt be put upon him. He was to be his uncle's heir after all, second in line and therefore the one in need of more training when compared to his brother. He was already taking lessons with Balin to learn about the more complicated side of ruling, doing weapons training with Dwalin to learn more about strategy and how to defend himself. His only comfort was that in a few years his brother would be joining him with the full extent of his training, only doing about half of what Fili done now. That did not mean that Kili was any less deadly when they were mock fighting each other or Dwalin. The brunette had almost perfect and deadly aim with whatever he was throwing and his smaller form allowed him to execute more sneaky plans of attack.

The young prince turned his attention back to Clave and his brother who were now deep in conversation, but was still only hearing fuzzy words. Or at least he was until Kili began tugging on his sleeve.

"What did you say?" he asked, having missed his brother's question the first time. Kili sent him a look, clearly not happy that he had to repeat himself because Fili had not been paying attention.

"I said there is nothing to worry about, is there Fee?" he replied, using his nickname for his brother. Fili shook his head.

"There have been nor orc sightings, and bears and other predators generally stay away from this area, so no, there is nothing to worry about," he answered. Kili turned back to Clave.

"See, even Fili said that there is nothing to worry about," he told his friend, "And uncle and Mister Dwalin will look after us if something does go wrong." Fili had to smile at how sure his brother sounded at his words. He would not be the one to put the brunette down, however, seeing as there was little reason for something to go wrong. It was at that point that they halted.

"Alright," Fili heard his uncle say, "We will be splitting into two groups. The first will come with me, the second with Dwalin." The tall dwarf looked at the dwarflings before him with a stern gaze. "You are to do exactly as we say," he continued, "For we want to avoid any trouble if we can. So if we tell you to run or fight, I expect you to follow our orders to the word."

Seventeen heads nodded in unison, and Thorin finally allowed himself to give them all a small smile. He then proceeded to split them into equal sized groups, eight going with Dwalin and three adults, nine going with Thorin and the other four dwarves. Both Fili and Kili were selected for Thorin's group, though the blonde suspected this was not a coincidence which only reinforced the point that he would no doubt be watched.

"We will meet here again in two days' time if nothing goes wrong," Thorin said for the benefit of the other adults. They nodded their affirmation that they had heard and understood, before the two groups walked deeper into the forest in opposite directions.

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	2. With shadows of fear

**Okay, so I lied about this chapter. But this bad writing will be made up next chapter onwards when I actually know what I specifically want. In any case, enjoy.**

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**Chapter 2: With shadows of fear**

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"Can anyone see the tracks I am talking about?" Thorin asked. The dwarflings below him shook their heads and Thorin sighed, though he was far from surprised. For most of them, this was the first time they had done anything even remotely related to surviving in the wilderness.

The exiled king was just about to point out the tracks again, far more obviously this time, when he caught Kili whispering to his brother and Fili nodding in response, both their gazes fixed on the footprints just beside his boots. Thorin smiled inwardly, addressing them in the voice he had been using the whole time.

"What do you see?" he asked. His two nephews looked up at him as their peers all turned their heads towards the pair. Fili's face was serious and Kili was wearing a wide grin directed at his uncle.

"Deer tracks," the blonde replied simply. Thorin shot Fili a discrete approving look before he turned his head to Kili.

"And what makes them deer tracks?" he asked. The brunette thought for a second before answering in a clear voice.

"Because the tracks are split into two separate bits, and they are round at the bottom and pointy at the top," he ventured, his eyes seeking approval that he had gotten it right. Thorin sent him to same look he had given the lad's brother before. The exiled king then bent to take up a stick.

"Kili is right," he said, tracing the imprints in the ground, "As is Fili. We can tell by the shape that these were made by deer hooves. Now if you look around this clearing, you should be able to spot several more tracks, and not just deer. If you think you have found something, ask one of the adults. Do not stray from this area however."

The youths before him wandered off on his words, talking quietly amongst themselves as they inspected the ground upon which they stood. The dwarves which had accompanied Thorin moved off as well, surveying the area and keeping an eye on the dwarflings. Thorin himself strode past where his two nephews were crouched, Kili chatting away as his brother's eyes scanned the earth.

"You done well," he half whispered to them, unsure if they had seen his approval before. If they had, they hadn't shown it, but at his words both their demeanours lightened. It never ceased to amaze him at how such small words could affect both boys, and Durin forbid if he ever forgot that fact.

The exiled king took the time to look at his surroundings, relishing being away from his hectic life back in the village, having to constantly check the affairs of his people, as well as having to struggle to maintain an income for his family and those under his rule. The blue sky peeking through the leafy green trees was more than enough to lighten his mood and allow his hopes for a relatively calm three days to flourish.

With an grin to himself, Thorin wondered how Dwalin was dealing with the youths under his care. The seasoned warrior had little patience for anything and even less tolerance for questions that he deemed as stupid. Still, the burly dwarf was one of Thorin's best guard. He was also good with children - though he wouldn't admit it - and he seemed to enjoy interacting with them and their youthful ways.

The dark haired dwarf looked around, a deep chord of sorrow piercing his heart as he looked at the boys that he had to change into men. They were far too young to be training for any role of a soldier and though what they were being taught now could help them in the future whether they became part of the guard or not, he had a feeling that this short strip would strip away many of the lads' innocence in the world, or at least begin to in any case.

"Uncle, what's this track?"

Thorin looked down to where Kili was tugging on the hem of his tunic in an attempt to get his attention. The dark haired dwarf followed the youth's pointing finger to a strange, odd looking track on the ground.

No, not strange; uncomfortably familiar. And what was more was the fact it was fresh, disturbingly fresh.

"Balric, we need to get moving. Now," he said, sharply pulling Kili away from the footprint as he called to the dwarf in charge of the group under him. The small youth uttered a cry of protest. "Stay with your brother," he ordered the brunette, before turning to address the four adults who were with him. Looking at the confused looks on the faces of the children around him, the exiled king only hoped it was a single enemy they would be facing.

"What is it?" a red haired dwarf asked in front of him. Thorin pointed to the track that his youngest nephew had found.

"We are not alone out here," he said in answer to Balric's question, trying hard not to give away too much to the little ears that were listening to avoid scaring them, "And where there is one, there is bound to be at least a dozen more." He could only thank Mahal that the other dwarves understood him without further explanation.

The second in command of the group called the boys together, nodding to the other two dwarves to move to the perimeters of the clearing, weapons drawn as they watched for any sign of disruption in the forest, any sign that what they believed was out there was making a move towards them.

"We are returning to the village," Balric informed the curious dwarflings before them.

"Why?" asked one of the older boys. Thorin could see his confusion and disappointment as well as the others, though Fili looked wary, his brother slightly fearful.

"Because it is not safe out here," Thorin answered, seeing that the truth could sate any questions the quickest. He did feel a pang of guilt at the fear that crossed some of the younger one's faces.

"Why not?" another of the lads questioned, his voice wavering slightly.

"There is something out there that poses us all a great danger," Thorin said, hoping that the question he did not want to answer would be asked. But these were children he was dealing with and it was only natural that they wanted answers.

"What?"

Thorin closed his eyes for a brief moment before answering.

"Orcs."

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**Yes, I did look up a deer print.**

**Review if you think it is worth it.**


	3. The need to run

**So, a longer chapter. I hope you like it - its getting more action into it from here on in. I'll try to update soon so you are not left hanging for too long. But be warned, this is just the beginning. ;D Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 3: The need to run**

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Orcs.

Fili felt his brother's hand creep into his own. The blonde let it, knowing full well what the word 'orcs' meant. Violence, blood, destruction, chaos; everything that had been told to them in the stories but on a whole different level, a worse level for Fili knew the adults toned down the amount of horror that had actually transpired in the legendary battles, thinking it was too great for such young ears to hear, and in a way, Fili agreed with them. He knew he personally would have nightmares for weeks if any of the true details were told to him.

From the sound of the alarmed cries around them, the blonde figured the other children too had a small idea of what orcs were capable of. The din rose as the adults tried to quieten them down.

"Fee," Kili said, his voice barely a whisper, "The orcs won't get us will they?"

The blonde had no idea what to tell his brother, for there was every possibility they would be caught, but his brother didn't know that, or at least didn't show that he knew, so in the end Fili chose to lie.

"No, the orcs will not get us," he said, knowing that it might very well turn out to be true, "Uncle won't let that happen."

"Are you sure?" the brunette asked. Fili smiled down on him, hiding his own fear.

"When has he ever failed to keep us from harm when he was present?" he asked back. Kili's brow creased before he nodded his head, his fearful expression now mingled with relief and hope.

"Quiet," Thorin half yelled, finally succeeding in getting the dwarflings to pay attention to him. Fili stared at his uncle, eyes slightly wider than usual as he waited for the dark haired dwarf to talk, to tell them what to do. "You need to be quiet," the exiled king said in a softer voice, trying to reason with the frightened boys, "Least they should here you." Eleven heads nodded in unison as they waited to be given instructions.

"We need to get them out of here," a brown haired adult said, ignoring the children in front of him as he talked to his leader and king. Fili watched as his uncle nodded in agreement.

"And fast," Thorin finished, "It will not bode well if they are caught in the middle of a battle between us and them." The dark haired dwarf turned to back to where Fili and the other dwarflings were facing him, assessing the situation. The other adults drew their weapons, two taking up positions behind the group of boys, two standing with Thorin as the king too drew his sword.

Fili felt his brother tense beside him as the younger dwarfling watched the various weapons being pulled from their sheaths, the sharp ring of metal being pulled free of leather ringing in the air. The boys on the outer edge were ushered into the middle of the group, each of the younger ones pushed towards one of the older boys. Fili maintained his grip on his brother, wrapping one arm around his shoulders, head above the wild sea of brunette hair.

"We must warn Dwalin," a red bearded dwarf spoke up, the warriors grip tightening on the handle of his axe. Thorin cast a wary look around.

"We will get to the gorge first," he answered, referring to the pathway they had taken when the initial group had split in two, "And then one of us can follow the path Dwalin took while the rest of us get the boys to safety. Once in the village we can muster up a force large enough to crush whatever numbers we are dealing with here. But for now it is best if we all stick together. With luck, Dwalin's group will have avoided a run in with them when we get to them."

The other dwarf nodded and fell back into position behind the dwarflings. Thorin gave the group one last sweeping look before issuing his final command.

"Now run!"

Fili had watched this exchange like all the other boys around him and when his uncle issued to command to move, Fili, like all the rest, instantly obeyed. Thorin and the brown haired adult pulled forward, leading the group away from where they presumed the danger would be. The other three grown dwarves fell back, assuring that none of their charges were left behind as they dashed through the trees, the two adults in front only stopping to lift the smallest of the dwarflings over tree trunks, leaving the older boys to scramble over themselves.

The first of many guttural cries sounded from behind them, almost animalistic in nature as they raced ahead on foot, several of the boys being dragged forward when they began to slow or lag behind the main group. Kili's hand stayed glued to his brother's own hand, and for this Fili was glad, glad of the knowledge that his brother had not fallen or been left behind. The blonde would never forgive himself if something happened to his brother.

"We cannot outrun them," one of the adults cried out, his voice breathy as he pulled himself forward with long strides, "We need to get to somewhere where we can defend ourselves."

Thorin had obviously heard, his gait becoming even more determined as he led the group back the way they had come, which was a considerably long distance from the village. The pace fastened and Fili's sides began ached as he continued to push on after his uncle, Kili gasping for air beside him, both their hands sweaty as they maintained their tight hold on each other.

The cries of the enemy came closer and closer, sending chills down Fili's spine as he stumbled along, jolts of fear flashing through his body as the creatures from his nightmares chased after them. Branches whipped his face, bringing tears to his eyes at the sharp stinging they left behind. One of the beads tore from his braids and soon the blonde hair that had been previously kept in check by the hair adornment was flying around his face, bobbing up and down in response to the blonde's running.

An arrow flew through the trees behind them, missing its intended mark, lodging itself into a tree at the bottom of the rocky passage they had now reached. Beside him, Kili gasped in surprise and terror, a small lock of sheared brown hair floating down to the ground. Fili's limbs went rigid for a moment, the blonde in shock about how close he had come to losing his younger sibling just then. A strong hand closed around his waist, lifting him off the ground, Kili being lifted beside him.

"Get them to the pathway leading up," Thorin yelled, bodily swinging his two nephews onto the passage carved into one of the gorge walls. The other older dwarves obeyed his command and began to direct the rest of the boys up the only way out of the otherwise dead end. The cries of the orcs were right behind them now, and they could all hear the ground shaking with the multiple footsteps of the running creatures.

"Fili," Thorin said, bending down to grip his oldest nephew by the arms, the brown haired dwarf readying his grip on his weapon as he moved to take up a defensive position at the front of the gorge, "I need you to listen to me," the exiled king continued. Fili looked his uncle in the eyes and saw a fearful urgency shining in the blue orbs.

"What is it?" he asked, his own voice sounding small against the magnitude of the situation. Thorin did not relax his grip, even as the other adults finished helping the boys onto the step and narrow path and then took up similar positions beside their other comrade.

"You must lead the other children away from here," he said, "Do not stop running for anything. Get to the village and tell Gloin of what has transpired. Get him to send out dwarves to inform Dwalin of what has happened and to help him get the other boys to safety. I am trusting you to lead this group to safety."

"But uncle-" the blonde child began, frightened by the words his uncle was saying, frightened of taking responsibility for the wellbeing of his peers.

"Do you have the knife I gave to you before we entered the forest?" Thorin asked. Fili nodded solemnly, his hand brushing against the hilt of the weapon. "Good. Use it if necessary, but do not look back, whatever happens. Do not return for me or try to take the orcs on your own. Avoid them if you can."

"But uncle," Fili cried again, "You make it sound as if you are not coming with us." The older dwarf looked down at him grimly.

"We will try to give you as much of a head start as we can," he replied, "But I need you to get your brother and the others out of here. We will not be able to hold them for long if I am right about their numbers." Fili looked up at him with fear clearly evident in his eyes.

"But you can't," the blonde said frantically, "You can't stay behind. You need to tell us what to do."

"I cannot come with you, lad," Thorin said, "So I need you to take charge and lead in my steed."

"But I can't," Fili said, his tone laced with a small amount of hysteria. His uncle looked on him with mournful eyes.

"You must be brave, my boy," he said, "For they will need you to be. Take a deep breath. Now let it out." Fili felt himself calming somewhat, the edge of his panic dulling somewhat.

"I'm scared," he said softly.

"I know," Thorin said just as softly, "But they are too."

Fili half turned to see the other boys standing further up the path, the younger ones clutching to each other in terror, the older ones trying hard to conceal their own fears. Kili looked as if though he were about to cry, his small hand encircling that of his friend Clave's.

"Try to swallow your fear, for I need you to do this, your brother needs you to do this," Thorin said, cupping his nephew's chin and looking straight into the boy's eyes. Fili nodded.

"Thorin," cried one of the dwarves at the front of the gorge, "They are almost upon us!"

"Now go," Thorin ushered, pushing Fili towards the others, "And know that whatever happens, I am proud of you."

Fili watched with the other boys as Thorin joined his men and redrew his sword. The first of the orcs were just visible through the trees and to Fili, they looked far horrific than they had ever been told in their nightmares.

"Come on," the blonde yelled, turning as he grabbed his brother's hand, "We need to move!"

The group of dwarflings fled up the pathway, Fili leading the way as they heard the first of the dwarfish battle cries reach their ears. An arrow came whistling past and Fili made a sharp turn as he reached the top of the gorge, ducking behind a pile of boulders for cover. Letting go of his brother's hand, he ushered in the others before becoming still, the older boys shushing the younger ones.

Fili drew his knife, the closest to the pathway, the others with weapons doing the same as they all waited for how the battle raging below would turn out.

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**Good enough for you guys or do you want something even better? ;) Please review.**


	4. Becomes too clear

**Would have updated last night but something happened to my internet. It's all fixed now however, so here you go. I hope I lived up to expectations.**

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**Chapter 4: Becomes too clear**

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Thorin watched for a moment as the boys under his care dashed up the pathway, several stumbling along the way, then he turned back to face the front, dropping slightly as he dodged an arrow aimed towards his head. The exiled king felt the wind the arrow stirred ruffle his hair as it soared up the walls of the gorge, several others following soon after. He could only hope that Fili had gotten the dwarflings somewhere out of the way of the battle and that none had been felled by the arrows continuingly ending up on the pathway and beyond as they repeatedly missed their intended targets.

The dark haired dwarf let his fear take over, using it as strength as he and his companions met the charging orcs head on, the battle cries of both sides ringing in the surrounding air. Metal clashed upon metal as sword met sword and the first of many blows were dealt out.

The dwarves were outnumbered, that much was clear in the first charge alone. There were way more orcs than them, but the one thing that Thorin and the others had to their advantage was the fact that the entrance to the gorge was narrow, allowing only several of the enemy to pass through at any time, but that didn't mean that it was easy. Each orc was well trained in battle, or at least in the most efficient ways to maim and then finish off their opponents. This was not mentioning the javelins and arrows being shot in their general direction.

Thorin fought for all he was worth, teeth ground tightly together as he swung his sword to and fro, cleaving his enemies wherever his blade might land. A snarling orc came at him, its own sword raised in a crude fashion, gripped by a claw-like hand. The creature's eyes were shot through with red, and seemed to be bludging out of their sockets. The orc grinned at Thorin with bloodied teeth and then spluttered an ugly sound as the exiled king finished ripping his blade through the being's heart.

"We'll be cut to shreds before they have even sent half of their scum to die upon our swords," Balric commented. Thorin breathed out through his nose, narrowly avoiding a mouthful of the foul tasting blood of the orc he had just brained.

"If that is all it takes to allow the boys to get to safety, then I our job will be done," the dark haired dwarf responded shortly, the dwarves he was standing shoulder to shoulder with still refusing to break formation under the fast flowing waves of orcs thrown at them from their front, their flanks and rear more or less protected.

As Thorin waded around calve deep in the broken bodies of his enemies, he thought back to his last words to his oldest nephew. The dwarfish leader felt a sense of guilt at putting such responsibility onto the shoulders of a mere child, yet there had been no other option. Fili was the only one he knew enough, trusted enough to make the right decisions and lead the other boys to safety.

"Aaron!" a voice to his right yelled and Thorin looked over to find one of the four dwarves who stood with him felled by a crazed axe wielding monstrosity. The dwarf immediately beside Thorin fell to the sweeping arcs of the weapon as the orc made its way towards the exiled king who proceeded to meet the being with head and sword held high. How his blade did not break upon impact with the axe bewildered Thorin, for the orc had certainly used enough force to snap most blades in two.

The dark haired dwarf sidestepped a blow, trying his best not to trip over the bloodied body of his fallen companion. He swung his sword up again to parry another blow aimed at his neck, driving the orc back towards where Balric was standing, warding off an enemy of his own. At a shout from his king however, the brown haired dwarf turned, lifting his own sword up and straight into the back of Thorin's opponent. Thorin, in turn, took the liberty of finishing off Balric's own opponent, nearly severing the creature's torso in two, his blade travelling all the way through the spine of the enemy. Both orcs fell to the ground dead.

The two dwarves did not exchange words, but they knew how hopeless their situation was looking. They could not hold out for much longer, nor could they do anything to stop the orcs from charging after Fili and the other children once they had been defeated for they would be as dead as the wind was in the air that moment. Droplets of sweat rolled down the back of Thorin's neck and his arms and shoulders creamed from the abuse that was being delivered their way, but the exiled king fought grimly on, for the enemy would have to kill him in order to go after the dwarflings and, by extension, his nephews.

It was when the third dwarf fell that Balric and Thorin lost the ability to hold the orcs back any longer, unable to stop the enemy as they were both surrounded, pressed back to back, unable to really lift a finger as the orcs thudded up the path leading to the top of the gorge.

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At the first sounds of loud and heavy footsteps, Fili quickly swung his head so that he could see who was making their way up the gorge. He quickly returned to his previous position, heart beating wildly as he took in several deep breaths, mind racing as he tried to comprehend what he had seen. Several of the orcs had gotten past his uncle and the other dwarfish adults and were swiftly making their way to where he and the others were hiding. The hail of arrows had stopped meaning that they had a clear way to make a dash for it without having the fear of one or more of them being struck by an arrow, but it would do no good for the orcs had longer legs then the tallest dwarfling amongst them.

The blonde prince tried to think of a solution to the problem that did not involve one or more of them being maimed or killed. The older boys could try to fend off the beings, giving the younger ones a chance to escape, but that would fail in the long term and would most likely result in all their deaths. So that was out of the option. He tried to clear his mind, forcing himself to think like his uncle and, as he had been told many times while in the forest or facing a problem, to look around at his surroundings to see what he could utilise. Finally a thought came to him, one that just might work.

"We need to block the path," Fili said as he peered around the edge. The sounds of the fighting below were dying down, yet it did not seem as if his uncle had won.

"Why?" he heard another boy ask. The blonde creased his forehead slightly in thought, trying to come up with a reason other than it was what his uncle would do.

"Because," he said as calmly as he could, "There are orcs coming up the pathway as we speak and if we manage to block the path, they will not be able to get through and reach us."

"How are we going to do that?" the same boy asked just as Clave and a few of the younger ones cried out in fear. Fili felt Kili grip his hand tightly.

"We could try and shift the rocks," the blonde said, "Set off a chain reaction that will not only block the path but crush the orcs on it as well as a few below if we are lucky." From the sounds of it, the dwarves below needed as much help as they could get.

"But we will expose ourselves!" cried Merion, the son of Aaron who was fighting down below. Fili could tell just by looking at him that the boy was concerned for his father's wellbeing.

"That is not our most pressing problem," Fili argued back and the dwarfling dropped his gaze.

"What do we do then?"

Fili pointed to several of the rocks closest to him, rocks that looked relatively loose.

"We need to try and destabilise those rocks and free them from the pile. All the rest should come tumbling down after. If we are lucky, not all will fall and we will still have reasonable cover," he said.

The boys all nodded their heads and moved towards the weaker point in the wall of boulders they were sheltering behind.

"On the count of three," Fili said, hesitating a moment to allow everyone to find their positions, "One… Two… Three!"

The rocks did not budge, though several shifted ever so slightly. Fili could hear the orcs coming even closer, hearing their garbled speak as they continued to move carefully up the steep and narrow pathway.

"Again," the blonde called just loudly enough for the others to hear, "One… Two… Three!"

Once again the rocks did not move, but Fili felt more give the second time round. It was a good sign as he could almost hear the laboured breathing of the orcs below.

"One last time," he called, "Give it everything you've got! One… Two… THREE!"

Finally the rocks came loose and tumbled down the wall of the gorge one after the other, crushing the startled orcs on the pathway. Fili grabbed both his brother and Clave and pulled the pair away from the edge, not wanting either to fall. He watched for a split second as the avalanche slowed before running towards where a few boulders remained, pulling Kili and Clave with him as the volleys of arrows from before began again.

"Here," he shouted, the others following him.

When the group was safe again from the missiles falling around them, the blonde prince thought back to the sight he had seen unfolding below. Of the five dwarves who had stayed behind, only two had still been standing, one of them, thankfully, his uncle. But there had been an aspect to the scene which had almost stopped Fili's small, beating heart, and this was the fact that his uncle was now completely surrounded, both him and the other dwarf completely cut off from any means of escape, not just from the rocks which now made most of the path inaccessible, but by the orcs who, in having lost one of their prizes, had now focused upon the two dwarves that were still within their vicinity.

The blonde drew in a shuddering breath, squeezing his brother's hand as a form of comfort for both the brunette and himself. Whatever played out at the bottom of the gorge could not end well for their uncle.

* * *

Thorin glared at the orcs who now had them surrounded, the echoes of the avalanche above them rebounding off the walls of the gorge. The vile beings eyed the last two standing dwarves off, seeming more concerned with Thorin than Balric as they stalked the warriors.

"Well?" Balric asked in a loud and clearly angry voice, "What are you waiting for? Finish us off!" The orcs ignored him, parting way as a more imposing orc stepped forward.

"You," he asked, pointing one of his twisted fingers at Thorin, "What is your name?"

"Thorin Oakenshield," the exiled king replied, not one to be cowered by that which he had fought and beaten before.

"Ah," the being said with a hiss of breath, "Yes, I do believe you are who we were sent to acquire." A million questions burned inside of the dark haired dwarf's head, but he stifled them, focusing his mind on the main problem.

"Why?" he asked, a streak of his authority evident in his voice. The orc laughed.

"That is information you have no need of," he said wickedly before turning to those clearly under his command, "Bring them. He shall be pleased with our performance."

Thorin felt rather than saw Balric beside him lift his sword the same time that he did, both ready to ward off any orcs who dared come near them for as long as they could manage. Their dramatic last stand was not to be though, and the two kneeled over in quick succession as a small, liquid covered dart penetrated the skin on each of their necks.

* * *

From up above, Fili slid back down the rock he was leaning against, grateful for its support. His uncle had been caught, by orcs no less.

* * *

**So, review?**


	5. The parting of ways

**Probably not the best chapter, but here you go. Thorin should be back next update, and for those of you asking about Dwalin, you'll see him soon.**

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**Chapter 5: The parting of ways**

* * *

"Fili?" he could hear a voice asking, "Fili? What do we do now?" The blonde turned his head to face the other boys.

They had waited a while to ensure that none of the orcs were down there still fighting, but the sounds of the battle had long since faded from the gorge. The others were growing restless, none of them really accustomed to remaining so still for so long. They were children after all, and more often than not had boundless amounts of energy running through them, and the terror they had experienced as well as the adrenaline that had come with it only made them more hyperactive. Not Fili though. His own gut felt as if it had been turned to stone, but now with his uncle gone, caught, he had to do something.

"Fee?" another, smaller voice asked, "You alright? What's on your mind?"

Fili looked down on his younger brother, contemplating the brunette. He had no idea what to tell him, the same way he had no idea what to do. How could his uncle just assume he could take responsibility for the group of dwarflings before him?

Kili stared back at him, worry clear in his brown eyes, the one emotion sheering through the terror that had previously filled them. Whether the worry was because he was not responding or because the small brunette had no idea what had happened to their uncle, Fili did not know, but it was this worry that finally got the blonde to say something.

"The orcs are gone," he said, having peered over the edge of their hiding spot to check. The other boys looked relieved, though a few seemed to pick up on his grim mood, especially the younger ones.

"What happened to uncle, Fee?" Kili asked, having been around his brother long enough to determine what the blonde was upset about. Fili took a quick moment to steel himself before relaying the bad news.

"Thorin has been taken prisoner, as has one other dwarf," he said in a carefully neutral voice. There were cries of shock and a few wails of despair. Fili watched with no small amount of sympathy as his brother seemed to fall back, the news a blow to him, just as the sight had been to the older blonde.

"What of the others?" Galvin, who was close to Fili's age, asked quickly, his eyes slightly wide from the news. Fili met the dark haired dwarfling's gaze evenly, his eyes giving away the fate of the other three dwarves. Galvin bowed his head.

"I believe we should send down a small party to check to see if any of them survived the attack," he said in the same calm voice he had been using, trying his best not to let panic or grief overrule it, "And then we can go from there. I'll go down, but it would be best is several of you came down with me."

Fili looked around at the older boys. Galvin nodded and stepped forth, as did his twin, Garvin, both pairs of grey eyes dull and fearful. Merion, too, decided to join the group.

"The rest of you stay here. If anything happens, call out, alright," Fili said, his commands met by the nodding of heads. He turned to the three other boys who would be joining him. "Ready?" he asked, knowing that the way down alone could prove to be fatal of they were not careful, certainly hazardous to say the least. The boys just steeled their expressions and waited for his lead.

Turning, Fili began to edge forward, mindful of the boulders blocking their path. It remained to be seen if the path itself still provided a way through to the bottom or whether it was completely closed off from the avalanche they had caused. For the most part, the foursome could weave somewhat precariously through the rocks, the gaps just wide enough to fit the average dwarfling through. Some of the safer paths through ended in dead end or narrowed too far for any of them to get through, and none of the dwarflings present wanted to risk shifting anything even slightly.

After an almost painfully long while, Fili and his three companions made it to the bottom, suffering no casualties whatsoever. What they met at the end of the path, however, was an entirely different matter altogether.

Fili struggled to hold onto the contents of his stomach as he averted his eyes from the carnage that was not so obvious from above. If this was what a real battle would look like after it ended, though on a much larger scale, the blonde did not want to even so much as glimpse one until he was way, way older, if ever. Beside the prince, the twins and Merion halted, the latter making gagging sounds as he tried not to choke on the foul stench of death.

Fili was glad none of the younger boys had come, for he did not doubt for a moment that they would be plagued with nightmares months after they had gotten back home, if they ever got out of this mess. Bodies were littered everywhere, the black blood of the dead orcs swirling around in puddles on the ground. Weapons laid scattered everywhere, some broken, some whole, but all covered in some sort of substance, be it dirt, blood or guts. Several crows were circling around, landing somewhere only to fly back away when a small rock still not yet settled from the initial avalanche bounced down the sides of the gorge.

"Look," Garvin cried mournfully at the same time he appeared to be holding his breath, "It would seem that not all those who have been laid low here were orcs."

Fili looked to where the grey eyed dwarf was pointing and closed his eyes, the proof that the younger of the two twins were right barely visible between the mutilated bodies of the orcs around them. Reopening his eyes, the blonde moved forward, bending to check for a pulse. There was none.

"He's dead," the youth said in a dead voice, no emotion colouring his tone save that of distaste for those who had caused the fate of the dwarf.

"There are two more over here," Galvin called out, motioning for the others to come forward. Then his breath caught. "Oh, Merion, I'm so sorry."

The redhead ran forward before stopping short a few feet away from the eldest twin. Fili and Garvin came to a halt next to him, neither needing to ask to see what was so bad. It was obvious Merion's father was dead; there was no need to check for a pulse, the split head was sign enough that the dwarf had long since passed from the world. The dwarf next to him, however, could still be, by some small miracle-

"Dead," Galvin proclaimed, having stooped down to check as soon as the others had come over, "That's three of the five adults who stayed down here."

"And we know where the other two are," Garvin continued, "More or less in any case."

Fili acknowledged this within his mind, thinking over what to do. They needed to get Dwalin and warn the village, yet the blonde felt a sense of duty towards his uncle as well. The prince watched as Merion knelt next to his father, taking the dwarf's cold, limp hand in his own, and Fili found himself praying that his uncle would not succumb to the same fate.

"What are we going to do now?" Galvin asked, "We can't just leave them here." Fili nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything, Merion spoke up.

"We should bury them," he said in a hardened voice, "And then we should go after those responsible." There was a dark, underlying tone, but Fili ignored it for the time being.

"Yes, we should bury them. They deserve no less," he responded. The twins both nodded their heads, the elder of the two dropping his hand on Merion's shoulder as a form of comfort.

* * *

A while later the four finally finished their job. Unsure of what to say exactly, the boys said a few words over the freshly dug graves, each wishing for the spirits of the dead dwarves to have an easy passage to the halls of Mahal. Fili had no doubt that they would, for each were brave warriors and had fallen defending them and the other dwarflings on the gorge above.

The blonde walked along the now still battlefield, leaving the comforting up to the twins who had accompanied him. He searched the ground for something to go on, the urge to pursue the orcs, and essentially his uncle and the other dwarf, growing stronger with every moment he waited. He spied tracks leading away from the destruction. Turning back to the other three, Fili opened his mouth to speak.

"Shall we pursue them or not?" the blonde asked, hand closed reassuringly around the knife at his waist. Merion's eyes hardened, as did the twins.

"Aye," Galvin answered, "We may be able to find them before they get too much of a head start on any help that comes."

"But only to watch," Garvin added, "We do not have the ability to take them on, and I shudder at the thought of what would happen if we challenge them." As the youngest of the four, Garvin was pretty wise.

"We will do no more than watch and wait," Fili agreed, "Though if the chance presents itself, I see no reason why we should not attempt to free my uncle and the other dwarf." The twins voiced their assent to this plan and Merion gave a curt nod, his eyes fixated upon the blonde, grief and rage storming inside them.

"What of the others though?" Garvin asked, "For were you not left in charge of us?"

"Leave that to me," Fili answered, beginning to make his way to the path leading up the gorge.

After navigating his way about halfway up, the blonde called out to the eldest boy there. The dwarfling answered Fili's cry, his face peering down the length of the pathway. Kili's head joined him, his eyes lighting up when he saw his brother.

"You have been gone a long time," the young brunette called out.

"There was something we needed to do," Fili answered before turning his attention to the older boy, "I need you to find Dwalin and tell him what has happened. He should be able to take over the situation from there. Tell him that three of the adults who accompanied us are dead, including Merion's father."

"What of you?" the boy asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"Merion, the twins, and I are going after the orcs to see what we can find out about them and whether or not we can free my uncle and the other dwarf," the blonde responded, "I know my uncle put me in charge of the group at least until we got to safety, but this is something I need to do, therefore I am asking you to take charge."

"But how do I find Dwalin?" Melvin asked back, seeming unsure of whether or not Fili's idea of splitting up was a good one, especially since both his younger brothers were accompanying the young heir.

"Kili can help you track him," Fili said back, his throat growing sore from shouting.

"But Fee, you can't just go after the orcs," Kili cried, not liking the fact he was going to be separated from his brother, "What if they catch you?"

"That's a chance we're willing to take," Fili said to his brother, "But I need you to help Melvin for me. When we find the orcs, we are going to need Dwalin's help."

The blonde watched as Melvin said something to his brother who nodded and then retracted his head, but not before calling out to his brother one last time.

"Make sure you don't get caught," Kili shouted down to where his older brother was standing.

"I will," Fili answered, before turning back to face Melvin.

"Make sure both my brothers return safely," he said in a non-menacing way, "Mother will kill me if anything happens to them, and if anything does, I will hold you responsible."

"I'll keep my eye on them," he said before watching as the boy above him wished them luck and disappeared as well.

Returning to where the twins and Merion were waiting, Fili offered them a grim smile.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the way the orcs had gone.

* * *

**Just to clarify: Fili, Merion, Galvin and Garvin (don't laugh at their names - I suck at coming up with them), are going after the orcs. Galvin and Garvin are twins. Melvin, their older brother, is leading the other boys to Dwalin.**

**Review?**


	6. Of the brave and the bold

**Again, I don't know how good this is, but hopefully next chapter it will pick up. So for now enjoy if you can.**

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**Chapter 6: Of the brave and the bold**

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Thorin woke, somewhat groggy as he opened his eyes and tried to shift around, wanting to take the weight off his side. The dark haired dwarf frowned slightly as he realised his hands were bound, the now dried blood from several cuts upon his face making it stiff as it did for the rest of his body.

"Thorin," he could hear a familiar voice whisper urgently, "Thorin? Are you awake?"

Thorin peered through the dark curtain of hair which was hanging in his face. The dark haired dwarf could hear other voices arguing above in some tongue he did not understand, and the light of the sun streaming through the canopy above only served to half blind him. Slitting his eyes so that the glare did not bother him as much, the exiled king found himself looking into the face of Balric.

Suddenly it all came back; the track, the orcs, the fight and the boys. He hoped that the boys were okay, that his nephews were okay for he doubted he would ever forgive himself if the case were otherwise. He doubted Dis would either, especially if Fili and Kili were supposed to be under his watch. As it was, he was already feeling guilty for the three deaths of Aaron and the other two dwarves. What was even worse was the fact that Aaron's eldest son had been among the group under his lead. He only hoped the young lad had not seen his father fall, hoped that Fili had been able to get the group away before the violence had escalated.

"Thorin," Balric called again, his voice barely loud enough for the dwarf next to him to hear.

"Aye?" Thorin answered just as softly. The brown haired dwarf let out a breath of relief before opening his mouth to speak again.

"It appears we are surrounded," he murmured, nodding his head ever so slightly to the orcs around them, "And as far as I can tell, a means of escape has yet to present itself."

Thorin thought for a moment, trying to determine what course of action was best to take. The dwarf could not feel any of his weapons upon him, and a glance towards the other captive dwarf proved that Balric was in the same position. No stray weapons were lying anywhere near them, not that it would have done any good. There were more orcs around them than the exiled king could count from his position on the ground, and Thorin did not dare lift his head for he was almost certain that neither he nor Balric had been discovered to be awake yet, and for the time being, it was the only thing they had going for them. Still, he had to be sure. The only other fact that reassured him in his captivity was the fact that neither he nor Balric appeared to be injured too badly.

"Do they know we are awake?" he whispered as the shouting grew louder overhead, Thorin subconsciously acknowledging that someone was clearly unhappy. Balric shook his head.

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Alright then," Thorin answered, his brain churning as he formulated a temporary plan, "I suppose it would be best if we just played unconscious for a while longer. There is no need for them to know we are awake just yet, and we can assess the situation more clearly."

Balric nodded his head and closed his eyes again, Thorin doing the same as the shadows of several orcs fell over them. The exiled king heard more speaking before hands reached down and hefted the pair of them up, both being thrown over shoulders as the group prepared to move on.

* * *

Kili had been breathing slightly heavier than usual since the departure of his brother. He struggled to focus on the ground in front of him, too distracted by his own thoughts for the wellbeing of his brother and uncle to see anything useful. Beside him, Melvin remained stoic, the older dwarf's grey eyes flinty as embraced the responsibility of the four other dwarflings with him, a responsibility he was used to being the oldest of four brothers and a sister.

"Do you see anything?" he asked, seeming, if anything, slightly impatient. Kili knew that both Galvin and Garvin, his two twin brothers, were with Fili, so he did not question the dwarfling wanting to hurry up and find Dwalin. He wanted the same thing, especially since Fili's words kept on ringing in his ears.

_"Thorin has been taken prisoner."_

It was like a persistent nightmare that kept on coming back to haunt him, one where his uncle wasn't there to reassure him that it was all just a dream. It was in this state of mind that he answered Melvin's question.

"Not yet, but once we get back to the part of the forest where our groups split up I should be able to track him," Kili said in as steady a voice as he could.

Melvin nodded in response and motioned for the group to continue on, obviously not wanting to stop for a long period of time in case there were any orcs behind them, which Kili hoped there weren't for more reasons than one. He didn't want to lose his brother, not after he had already lost his father.

"We'll be alright won't we?" a voice asked at the same time Kili felt a presence come up beside him. The brunette looked towards his friend, unable to hide his own fears.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "Fili would, but he's not here, and uncle…" The young child fought hard to keep from tears welling up into his eyes.

He had heard the stories of orcs, but seeing them in action, even if only briefly, was more than his young mind could handle. His uncle was one of the constant forces in his life, yet he had been taken away, by those the dwarf detested no less, and what little he had seen of the orcs capability was not all that reassuring. Looking into the eyes of Clave beside him, the brunette could only hope that Dwalin would be able to fix everything once they found him.

* * *

Fili glanced behind him, taking in his peers he was blatantly leading into danger. The twins were looking around at the surrounding foliage nervously, seeming to expect a sword or axe wielding orc to jump out of them at any moment. Merion kept his eyes fixed on the ground, his jaw constantly working up and down like he was fighting back tears of either grief or rage.

They were all armed, the twins having taken the hunting knives off the two of the dead dwarves, allowing Merion to take his own deceased father's knife. The four boys had all been hesitant at taking the weapons from the dead warriors, but as Fili had pointed out at the time, the knives would serve them better than they would have served their owners if left with the bodies. It was better if all of the dwarflings were armed when they ran into danger; if they ran into danger, for Fili was determined that the scenario would never happen. Never the less, the four had all sworn to return the knives to the temporary graves, or at least graves they hoped would be temporary, wanting to give the dwarves buried in them a real service.

The trees above seemed to close in menacingly on the foursome as the traversed deeper through the forest. Fili was somewhat uncomfortable as they had gone past the furthest point the blonde had been with his uncle and Dwalin, which he had believed to be pretty far up until this point in time, and he had certainly never come this far alone. It was unnerving that he was so deep in the forest without the protection and reassurance of an adult, one who knew how to handle a situation if it turned sour.

The small group maintained their quiet footsteps as they continued to tramp onwards, each of their hearts pounding fiercely in their chests.

"I have a question," Garvin said suddenly, the first real sound that any of them had made in a while, "What happens if we do end up finding the orcs?" Fili hesitated only briefly before answering.

"We can assess the situation when we get there," he answered, "And try to avoid detection if we can."

"Oh," Garvin said before opening his mouth to make another inquiry, "What happens if we get lost in here?" He waved an arm to the forest around them. Fili fought back a sigh.

"With luck, we won't get lost, but if we do we will probably have to retrace our steps," the blonde replied.

"But what if-"

"Look," Fili sighed, "Can't you just let it rest for now? There'll be time for questions later, but for the moment I need to be able to focus so that we don't get lost and I can follow the path the orcs took."

It was hard being in charge Fili had found, and especially hard with all the responsibilities that now weighed down on his shoulders. If any of them were hurt, if any were captured, or if any simply got lost, it would be all on him for he was the one leading them, therefore he was the one whose job to was to keep them out of danger. The blonde, however, had no idea how to successfully accomplish his goals. He had only ever been left in charge of minor things back at home, namely Kili when both his uncle and mother were too busy to watch over them properly. He was admittedly not ready to act as a leader for the three dwarflings he was leading, and the fact that he needed to somehow outsmart a large company of orcs. How he was going to do this, he had no idea.

* * *

**Review please.**


	7. An oath to swear

**Not. A. Word. Not. A. Single. Word. (sorry for the longer than usual update by the way but I have sadly been busy). This chapter - probably the worst so far, but I cannot be bothered to fix it. Next chapter, will be better (namely because there will be more of an opportunity for my creative juices to flow). Meanwhile, however, I think I need to stop skipping sleep. Enjoy (If you can). **

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**Chapter 7: An oath to swear**

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The first real sign of the orcish party they were trailing besides the footprints left behind was the lone corpse in their path. To be more specific, the lone orc body in their path. Fili swallowed his fear, thankful that the body did not belong to his uncle or the brown haired dwarf as he had first suspected.

"Looks like they stopped here for a bit," Galvin remarked. That much was obvious; the mess of footprints around the ground clearly showed that the company of orcs had halted in the area for some time, at least long enough to kill one of their own.

"Why would they turn on each other?" Garvin asked, intrigued as well as confused. Merion clenched his fists at the sight, no doubt thinking of his deceased father.

"Because they are monsters and killers," the redhead replied. The younger dwarf looked at Merion for a moment before glancing towards Fili who shrugged.

"Perhaps he got into an argument with another orc," the blonde suggested, not really caring at all what the reason was for the orc's death. All he wanted was to find those who had taken his uncle and the other dwarf, to be with his brother again, and for this horrific day to be over. If the height of the sun in the sky was a sign of some sort, however, Fili would bet that it would take more than just the afternoon of one day to sort out this problem.

"Well, can you tell which way they went?" Merion asked, both his voice and tone impatient.

"Yes," Fili replied, gesturing towards their west, "Though if we tarry here any longer we will lose some time due to nightfall."

"Then what are we waiting for?" the redhead asked, already moving off in the direction that Fili had pointed.

The twins shot a knowing look at each other the same time as Fili sighed. The three moved after their fourth companion, Fili dashing ahead so he could walk in line with Merion.

"Hey," he said softly, knowing why the dwarfling was upset, but unsure of how to approach the topic, "How are you holding up?"

"How do you think?" Merion snapped back, "My father was just murdered by orcs."

The redhead stormed ahead, grief and fury radiating off him in waves. Fili halted where he was, knowing that his choice of words for the conversation had been poor if anything. The blonde jumped a little when the elder of the pair of twins behind him clapped the youth on the shoulder.

"He's just upset," Galvin said, seeming to be lending support to the blond dwarfling.

"I just hope it doesn't cause any problems," Fili replied before leading the way again, eyes now focused on the tracks before him.

* * *

The continual bouncing up and down from his position upon the shoulders of an orc was really getting to the dark haired dwarf. Thorin had to fight hard to not let out a growl of frustration, keeping his eyes closed for the most part, only opening them ever so slightly so he could determine what turn the situation had taken. It had, disappointedly enough, not changed, for both he and Balric were prisoners to the foul creatures, hands still bound, both still weapon less. The only comfort was the fact that the orcs were doing a fine job of leaving an easily distinguishable trail behind them that even the blindest of dwarves could follow.

Glimpsing the sky through the disgustingly mattered hair of the orc carrying him, the exiled king closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before letting it all go is a single, quiet whoosh. The fact that the day was giving way to the first signs of night was disheartening when combined with the fact that he was still caught. Still, the generally broody dwarf forced himself to remain optimistic. It had not been all that long since the fight, and the orcs would have to stop for the night, least they wanted to wear themselves out too much.

_I will get us out of this Balric,_ Thorin said in his mind. The dark haired dwarf thought back to his two nephews and sister._ I swear on my life that I will get us out._

* * *

Kili felt like screaming with both frustration and fear, not knowing what to do. He had lost the trail and now they had to double back, something which would only result in the group losing precious time.

"Hey, it's alright," Melvin said in his ear, crouching down to the brunette's level. Kili just ignored him, his jaw working up and down as he tried not to cry.

"No it's not," he whined, allowing misery to eat away inside of him, "I need to find Dwalin. Fili said-"

"Fili would understand if you lost the trail," Melvin cut in, "Besides, you're doing a far better job than I ever could."

"But-"

"We'll find the trail again," Melvin said, the young dwarf somewhat thankful that he had plenty of experience in playing the role of the comforting older brother, "Just take your time."

Kili nodded his head before turning his gaze back to the ground below his feet, forcing himself to focus. The small dwarfling pushed away all thoughts of his brother, his uncle and what had happened, only concentrating upon what was needed of him, what he needed to do. The scene before him seemed to open up, presenting little pieces of information that the youth had previously missed, information such as what direction the other group had taken.

"I found the trail," Kili said, pointing to the ground beside his feet and further along in one smooth motion.

"See, we'll find the others," Melvin promised, giving the brunette's shoulder a slight squeeze before moving onwards, leading the other dwarflings towards the one dwarf they knew they could be safe with. Kili stood for a moment, watching the slowly fading backs of his companions.

"But will we get to them in time?" he asked himself softly before moving onwards, in no mood to be left behind, especially not since the sky now appeared to be far darker than before.

* * *

Fili found himself walking next to Merion, the twins a little way behind the pair, as if they were waiting for the two dwarflings to start having a heart-to-heart with each other. The blonde played with the hilt of the knife at his side, unsure of what to say, unsure if it was even his place to say anything.

"Are you going to talk or are you just going to act like nothing's on your mind?" he heard Merion ask. Fili sagged a bit, relieved that the redhead had made the first move.

"I…" he began before trailing off, losing the train of thought he had been holding in his head.

"You what?" Merion asked, his green eyes fixated on the path in front of him, the look in them cold, hard and flinty.

"I just wanted to say we will find the orcs," the blonde finally managed to answer, "They will get what they deserve."

"They had better," Merion said darkly, "After what they did to my father and the other dwarves."

* * *

**Anyone else in tears (at the atrocity of this chapter)? If you really think it is worth it, you can review (though I may not believe you... -_-).**


	8. When events unfold

**This chapter is FAR better than the last (you are all too kind in your reviews by the way). In any case, I hope you enjoy, and rejoice for answers regarding Dwalin will soon be up.**

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**Chapter 8: When events unfold**

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Night came quickly to the forest, cloaking everything in an inky darkness, blinding every being save those who were accustomed to the darkness.

"I never knew the forest to be so creepy at night," Garvin muttered under his breath. His older twin gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

"It's not that bad," he replied bravely, or as bravely as one could with their head continuously searching the area around them for any dangers.

"We're going to have to set up a camp somewhere," Fili said, speaking up from the front. The two grey eyed twins nodded, the youngest of them barely concealed a yawn. Merion, however, looked as though he wanted to continue on regardless of the rapidly lengthening shadows around them. Fili the same way, but he knew it would be just short of idiotic to continue on when he could no longer see the tracks they were following. Besides, his uncle had always said it was better to take the time to get some sleep and risk whatever it was that you were following to move on ahead, rather than to forego sleep and miss a vital sign. Lack of an ample amount sleep, as Thorin had said time and time again when he had taken both Fili and Kili on short trips into the forest, caused one to become distracted, and it was when one was distracted that they lost the trail.

Fili would not be able to live with himself if he lost this trail.

"I don't fancy sleeping out here though," Galvin said with distaste, looking up at the sky, "I mean, it would be alright and all, but it looks as if there is a slight chance it could rain and I have no wish in being caught in it if that small chance does in fact happen." Leave it to one of the twins to find a problem with sleeping outdoors.

Fili sighed.

"Then we had better start trying to find somewhere where we can shelter for the night," the blonde replied, trying to hide his displeasure at the fact that time was being taken out of their search in order to find a more 'convenient' place to sleep. However, it was not like Fili could actually do anything else except lay in the dark staring up at the sky, so the young dwarf told himself that it was better to keep himself busy so he could not dwell on the possibilities of what may or may not have happened to both his uncle and Kili, as well as the others who either were or could be in danger.

All the different scenarios clashed horribly in the blonde's head, and Fili eventually drove them all away, instead focusing on squinting through the gloom in front of him to try to find the sort of shelter the other three so desired.

"It's fairly sheltered against that overhang," Galvin pointed out finally after almost an hour spent searching the small area they were in without wandering too far from the tracks.

"It will have to do," Fili said, "For I cannot see a thing in this darkness."

"Neither can I," Garvin put forth. Merion stayed silent, his eyes still bearing that sort of hardness from before about them.

An owl hooted nearby as the four boys settled down for the night, huddling up close together to ward away the cold. The twins, as anyone could have guessed, were side by side, practically in each other's laps. Merion laid next to them, Fili waling off the other end, the one furthest away from the cliff face. He was the eldest after all, and the one supposed to be looking after everyone else.

_" I need you to take charge and lead in my steed."_

What his uncle had seen in him, Fili doubted he would ever know. Already he had proven his unreliability through leaving the main group to trail after the orcs and the dwarves they had captured, essentially abandoning his brother. His uncle would no doubt be angry with him for disobeying an order like that, especially since he was leading three others towards the danger, not away from it.

_"Try to swallow your fear…"_

That was another thing the blonde knew himself to be failing at; he had never been so afraid in his life, not even up at the top of the gorge. Fili looked up at the stars and furrowed his brow ever so slightly as he bit back a cry of despair. If he were to count the things he was afraid of at this moment, he was sure they would number more than the distant lights in the sky above him. He was afraid, first and foremost, for the life or his uncle and that of his brother. If either or both of them were killed by the orcs, Fili did not think he would be able to accept the fact. He would certainly be overcome with grief, and in the face of his brother's untimely demise, the blonde knew very well he would not be able to go on.

The young heir was also afraid for the fate of the three dwarflings with him, and that of the other boys and the brown haired dwarf with his uncle. He was afraid what the orcs would do with their prisoners, or if they found the others or even him. He was afraid that they had already gotten to Dwalin and that Kili and the other children were walking into a trap, one he where would not be present to help get them out of if that was indeed the case. The youth was also afraid that the orcs would make it to the village, where his mother and everyone else he knew resided. However, the one thing that Fili was mostly afraid of was that of bearing the weight of being a leader upon his shoulders.

Fili knew that if his uncle ever passed without having married and having children to be direct heirs of his, he would be the one to take over the leadership of the displaced dwarves from Erebor, and though he was young, the blonde knew well enough that if his uncle died from the events of the day, he would suddenly find himself in charge of hundreds of dwarves. The idea of that much responsibility overwhelmed the child and frightened him beyond belief, though he knew that someone else would rule in his steed at least until he became of age.

Closing his eyes on that happy note, Fili tried to build a barrier around his mind in order to ward off any nightmares that were lurking around waiting for an unsuspecting being to plague.

* * *

Thorin could not help but wince as he landed on his side after having been thrown carelessly off the back of the orc who had been carrying him. The exiled king quickly schooled his features into that of a slack indifference, hoping that none of his captors had noticed, or if they had, had dismissed the expression as quickly as it had passed.

The dark haired dwarf felt the presence of Balric appear at his side, the brown haired dwarf having too been thrown to the ground. All around the pair, the sound of orcs settling down for the night began. Several arguments in their harsh tongue were started, about half of those escalating before being cut off. At one point there was cheering, something that had not lasted long before it died down. During this, Thorin had found his bound arms being pulled away from him and towards something else, to which he was certain they had been tethered for the time being to ensure he was not going anywhere. The same would have had to be done to Balric, meaning that both were stuck in the one area, thankfully in close proximity of one another so they could at least murmur to each other.

"Do you have a plan of escape yet?" Balric asked in a low voice at the same time as Thorin decided to crack his eyes open just a bit.

"No," the dwarfish leader muttered back, "Not one that doesn't involve getting rescued by Dwalin."

"Where is he when you need him?" Balric half joked, trying to make light of both the mood and situation. Thorin could only close his eyes and let out a silent sigh in response.

"We can only hope he is keeping the other boys out of trouble and harm's way," Thorin replied, "And that Fili has found him and told him of what has transpired."

"Hope's a rather ambiguous word, isn't it?" Balric said softly after a long pause. Thorin didn't even want to consider what the other dwarf was suggesting.

* * *

"I can't see the trail," Kili growled in frustration, annoyed at the orcs, the dark and himself. Melvin sighed beside him for what could have been the millionth time.

"That's because it is too dark to see anything," the older dwarfling replied, his voice the perfect imitation of an adult reasoning with a child.

"But now we can't find Dwalin," Kili almost cried, his desire to be with his brother and uncle again mixing with his fear for what could happen to them creating an emotionally unstable balance within the small dwarfling.

"We can resume once it is light again," Melvin told him, the other dwarflings crowded behind the oldest there.

"But what if the trail is gone by tomorrow?" Kili said in a small voice, almost sniffing as a feeling of hopelessness came over him.

"Look, we'll find Dwalin in time, and he will be able to sort everything out from there," Melvin reassured the youngest of the group. This time Kili did sniff.

"You think so?" he asked, his emotions now clearly taking over him.

"Yes, I do," the grey eyed dwarf replied kindly, understanding how daunting it all was for one so young, "But for now, we might as well stop here and sleep."

Soon Kili was snuggled next to his friend, Clave, both resting their heads against Melvin's leg. A pang of longing filled the younger of the three, Kili remembering all the times he and Fili had laid together in almost the same fashion. The brunette sniffed again, a few tears slipping from his eyes. He wondered how his brother was fairing in his search for the company of orcs that had attacked them, and how his uncle was fairing as well. He hoped neither of them were hurt, but then again, he had always been told to assume the worst in cases such as this. It was never wise to underestimate the seriousness of a situation, or at least his uncle had always warned him.

A rustle in the bushes shook Kili from his half asleep state and a second rustle had him sitting bolt upright. Clave blinked awake, as did Melvin, both somewhat disorientated from Kili's sudden movements having jerked them from their sleep.

"What is it?' Melvin asked before taking in the youth's position. The older dwarf sat up straighter, silently waking the other two younger dwarves that formed the rest of their small group.

The five boys waited in the type of silence brought on by fear as the bushes rustled for a third time, a dark and imposing figure stepping out from them.

"What are you lads doing here?" a gruff and familiar voice asked in shocked disbelief.

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**Please review. I'll try to update soon.**


	9. Problems arise

**Short chapter, but it goes. Nothing else really happened at the time this occurred. In any case, next one will definitely be longer. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 9: Problems arise**

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"Dwalin!" Kili cried in relief, tears almost streaming down his face as he threw himself at the legs of the fully grown dwarf. The seasoned warrior took one look at the state of the five children and then beckoned for them to follow him, hefting up Kili instinctively in his muscular arms, regretting it for a brief moment when he realised the lad was far too big for such behaviour, but deciding to put up with it when he could feel the boy's shaking through both their multiple layers of clothes.

"Come with me," he said hastily, seemingly very concerned as to why there were no adults were with the dwarflings and why about half the dwarflings themselves were not there.

The now group of six were walking through the forest, back the way Dwalin had come.

"Back so soon from doing your business, eh Dwalin?" a cheery voice called out from the fire that was going in the centre of the glad. It fell short when the dwarf the voice belonged to realised that the burly warrior had company.

"Something happened to Thorin's group," Dwalin informed the curly bearded dwarf while carefully untangling Kili's hands from his jerkin and placing the young boy on the ground.

"What?" his companion asked in a disbelieving voice. Dwalin shrugged before they both turned to face the boys who had entered with the taller of the two dwarves, the rest of the adults beginning to stir awake at the commotion.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Dwalin asked the eldest of the five gently. Melvin bit his lip, glancing at the others before answering the question that had been put to him.

"W…we came across orcs," he said, only a slight quaver to his voice, "And they told us to run. We made it to the gorge, and they put us all on the path before telling us to run up it and not to stop for anything."

Both the adults' faces had paled at the grey eyed dwarfling's recount and it took Dwalin a moment for him to ask his next question.

"What of the adults and the other four boys who were with you?" the bald dwarf asked, hoping for the best while fearing the worst.

"Thorin and the adults stayed behind to give us a head start," Melvin informed the dwarves around him, all of which were now fully awake, "They fought and afterwards, Fili went down to see what happened."

Dwalin swore softly to himself, not liking the fact that Thorin's blonde nephew had taken it upon himself to inspect what would have no doubt been a gore filled battlefield, but admiring the lad's initiative at the same time. He gestured for the dwarfling in front of him to continue.

"He said that three of the dwarves had been killed," the boy continued, "Their bodies were down there."

"And what of the other two?" Dwalin asked, inspecting Kili's face through the darkness, mentally noting the child would be far more distressed if his uncle had been one of the three killed. However, Kili appeared to be distressed enough as it was.

"Fili said he saw the brown haired dwarf, Balric I think his name was, and his uncle being taken by the orcs," Melvin informed him in as calm a voice as the older child could muster.

"And where is Fili?" Dwalin inquired, surprised that the blonde was not here, and even more surprised that he was not with his brother. Melvin eyes flicked to the ground for a moment before flicking back up to look at the older dwarf.

"Well, he decided to go after the orcs to see if he could free Balric and his uncle. Merion went with him, as did both Galvin and Garvin."

"Thank you for the information," Dwalin said as warmly as he could, freaking out inside of his head, "And for leading the other four here safely."

"Kili helped to find you," Melvin said modestly ad Dwalin in turn acknowledged the young brunette with a nod of his head and a small, fake smile. The lad did not return the favour as he usually would have, not that Dwalin blamed him. If his brother and uncle were both in danger, he would not be entirely happy either.

"It is best you get some sleep now," the warrior said, shooting a meaningful glance towards his comrades over the heads of the children. The dwarflings below did not hesitate to obey him, though Kili did hesitate long enough to ask the question that Dwalin had been expecting since he had first laid eyes upon the lad that night.

"You'll get them back safe right?" he mumbled softly, looking dead tired and more than a little worried.

"You have my word, lad," the warrior replied before ushering the youth off to join the others. As soon as the boys were all settled and fast asleep, the other dwarves approached the bald dwarf.

"So three of the four who went with Thorin are dead," the curly bearded dwarf said. A dark haired dwarf named Rahm shook his head sadly.

"Aaron had a kid in that group, Merion I think his name was," he said with a deep sorrow, "I only hope that he did not witness his father's death."

"The deaths of the three dwarves are not what the issue is though," Dwalin interrupted, regretful for his dismissive tone but knowing that they needed to focus on other priorities as of that moment, "If orcs are running loose in this forest, than who's to say they will not make their way towards the village. We need to get back in order to set up defences if they have not already laid waste to it already." The firelight flickered upon the warrior's, throwing shadows over his features and giving his eyes a strange and reflected glint to them.

"What of Thorin and Balric? And what of the boys who went after them?" Rahm asked. Dwalin sighed.

"We will need to go after them. If Thorin is killed or taken beyond the range of our capability to help him, there is no doubt that our people will be thrown into turmoil once again. We do not need that now, not so soon after the fall of Erebor," Dwalin replied, "And as for the dwarflings who went after him, with luck we will find them before they do something more stupid and get themselves seriously injured or killed. For now, however, they will just have to fend for themselves."

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**Review please. I enjoy getting them.**


	10. With the waking of day

**Here you go, the next instalment in this story. Updates may be a while due to Christmas and stuff I need to do after it, but I will try my best to get one out as soon as possible.**

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**Chapter 10: With the waking of day**

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Fili awoke with a jolt, his mind pulling itself together sluggishly for a moment until a sudden realisation hit him.

_Damn it,_ he thought, berating himself in his mind, _I'm an idiot. A big, thick headed idiot._

Standing, the blonde dwarfling stretched and looked around, checking to see if the twins and Merion were still all there beside him, only to find, to his relief, that they were. It had been a mistake on his part to have allowed them all to fall asleep without setting a guard and the youth knew it was only pure luck that nothing had come across the four in their sleep. What was more was the fact it was clearly past dawn, not by a whole lot, but enough for the orcs to have gained a small amount of ground which was only added to the distance Fili and the others had yet to cover. So much for trying not to mess up his newly given responsibilities.

Turning around, Fili first shook Galvin, and then Garvin and Merion awake. The three woke groggily, yawning as they did so.

"Just a few more minutes," Garvin mumbled, trying to curl back up into his brother's side, the same way Kili usually sunk into Fili. The blonde, however, was in no mood for any more delay. Without further ado he took a hold of the younger dwarfling's arm and hoisted him up, much protest sent his way as he did so.

"We cannot afford to waste any more time," Fili stated, gesturing to the sun overhead. Garvin fell silent, his brother and Merion beside him stander straighter as they prepared for the long and tiring day ahead of them, one that would be filled with more than a few dangers.

"Maybe we should wait for the adults to get here," Galvin said hesitantly as Fili turned his back in order to pick up the trail again. The blonde froze for a brief moment before continuing his work.

"But that would give the orcs even more of a chance to get away," he replied, trying to keep his desperation to find his uncle out of his voice, "And in any case, Melvin, Kili and the others should have found and told Dwalin what has happened by now." He hoped so anyway.

"Still," Galvin answer, one finger twisting a lock of his dark hair continuously, "We aren't experienced enough to take on a group of orcs that big. You saw what they did back in the gorge, and that was with five fully trained and grown warriors, warriors who have had experience with things like this before."

"We can't stop now," Fili said, turning to face the dwarfling, "And besides, we may be able to pick up some information that could help the adults formulate a rescue when they get here." The blonde was determined to remain optimistic, at least on the outside in any case, for he knew there was a great chanced that many things could go wrong which could either delay or even keep help from arriving.

"We should at least inform them somehow of the path we are taking so that they are not having to run around and find us as well," Galvin said, worry still evident in his peer's eyes. Fili thought on this for a moment. It made sense to leave something behind them, and if they got lost, having markers along the path they had taken would be a great help.

Turning to a sturdy branch only a little out of his way and close enough for him to reach easily, the blonde tore of a small strip from the hem of the cloak he was wearing. Under the curious gazes of the others, he tied the scrape of fabric firmly to the branch before taking a step back and dusting off his hands, giving his handiwork one last look over.

"Wha-" Merion began as the twins stood flabbergasted beside him. Fili turned back to the three, a small smile gracing his face.

"See," he said happily, "Problem solved. We can leave markers like this every so often along the path we take, that way the adults will know what way we have gone and it will make their job easier in finding the orcs. Now is there anything else or can we get going?" The other three shook their heads and Garvin gestured for Fili to lead the way.

"Show us the way, our most supreme and intelligent leader," he said, adding a deep bow to his over exaggerated words. Fili's smile widened and he turned back to the trail, crouching down to find where they had left off the day before.

It was not long until the foursome were on their way, armed with their newly found weapon and hopeful spirits that everything would turn out alright in the end.

* * *

Kili blinked his eyes open, having been shaken awake by firm hands. For a moment the brown haired youth believed the hands belonged to his brother, and he was home, warm and safe in bed. The face of Melvin greeted the lad, the grey eyed dwarf urging him up before moving on to wake the few others who were still asleep, mainly those who had been a part of their ragtag little group that Dwalin had come across the night before.

The brunette sat up, looking around himself as his fears from the night before came flooding back. Kili glanced over towards where Dwalin was standing in the midst of a seemingly intense conversation with the other dwarfish adults. The older dwarf's eyes flashed in the youth's direction, and the seasoned warrior flashed the dwarfling a small and reassuring smile, regarding him with shrouded eyes before turning back to reply to something one of the others had said.

Clave yawned awake beside him, having been nestled into the sides of one of the older boys. The slightly older dwarfling then looked around at where he was and shrank into himself, lower lip trembling in fear.

"Well, come on," Dwalin called from where he was standing to the now mostly awake villages, "And no dawdling either. We need to get back to the village as soon as possible and before nightfall preferably."

Thirteen pairs of eyes stared up at the warrior, rounded spheres shining with confusion and apprehension. Dwalin heaved a sigh, one that was audible to the small ears listening.

"Here, stick close to either me or one of the other adults," he informed them in a softer voice, "You will need to move fairly swiftly. I do not want to risk running into any dangers, not now."

The boys nodded in understanding and set about following the bald dwarf's orders, attaching themselves to the closest dwarfish warrior. Kili went straight to Dwalin, the burly and intimidating dwarf providing the young brunette with a small level of comfort against all that had happened and was still happening around him. The boy felt a large hand ruffle his hair briefly before it was withdrawn. Kili fought back a whimper of despair, trying to keep up a brave front just as he knew is brother and uncle would want him to.

"Are we following the path we took to get here?" the youth could hear one of the adults asking. Dwalin's voice rumbled beside him in response.

"We would lose time that way. It would be faster for us to make our way directly from here."

Kili trusted the bald dwarf to do what was best, for he knew the warrior to be just as worried as he was for his uncle and his brother, not to mention the other dwarf and dwarflings still out in the forest, unprotected and in immense danger. He had lost count of how many times the warrior had gotten both him and his brother out of one tight spot or another, his gruff personality giving way to his more caring side. So long as Dwalin knew what he was doing, nothing could go wrong. Kili's mind set was somewhat eager to take a more negative approach to things, for his uncle had been caught by orcs, and all his young life, the brown haired youth had always thought his uncle to be invincible. If the Great Thorin Oakenshield could not defeat a group of orcs, what hope did anyone else have?

* * *

Thorin fought of the feeling of disgust and rage that flew through him as he found himself being hefted up again, knowing such an outburst would only worsen their situation. Rather he caught Balric's slitted eyes with his own half opened ones, giving the slightest of nods as the other dwarf blinked his affirmation at the plan. Now they only had to wait until the orcs stopped again to carry out what they had thought up the night before.

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**All reviews are appreciated, so please leave one for this chapter.**


	11. Solutions to find

**Sorry the chapter is short, but it goes, and, well, I may not be updating for a while so enjoy. Next chapter will be longer and better I promise (once I write it).**

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**Chapter 11: Solutions to find**

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Fili had to admit it would have been somewhat boring just walking along in the forest, the only active thing being done was that of following a set of tracks and leaving markers every so often along the path he and the other three dwarfling's took. The one thing that stopped it being so boring, however, was what was at stake and the danger that the foursome were inevitably going to come face to face with at one point or another.

The blonde, if he were being honest, would have to admit to not even having the slightest inkling of how they were going to survive a confrontation with the orcs, if the four would even be able to get close enough to have an actual confrontation. If the other adults caught up to them first or if the group ran into unforseen danger, then Fili had no doubt that they would perhaps be indefinitely stopped from achieving their goal, but the blonde dwarfish heir could not dwell on this at the current time, for both his uncle and another dwarfish warrior wee in immense danger and were in probable need of rescuing if they had not already escaped themselves.

* * *

Waiting for the orcs to stop was easy enough; the beings were often halting to argue about which direction they were taking, or it seemed that they were arguing about that in any case.

Thorin moved his bound hands in front of himself ever so slightly, holding them up to break his fall as he was dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. As always, the wind was driven from him moments as the same process befell Balric who was now sprawled beside him on the ground. The two acknowledged each other subtly before Thorin turned his attention to the arguing orcs whose voices appeared to be steadily raising in volume and levels of poorly restrained malice.

The argument, as always, began to pull away from the two captive dwarfs stationed on the ground leaving both Balric and Thorin relatively unattended. The later dwarf inhaled deeply before letting all his breath go in one big whoosh. It was now or never and the exiled king only hoped that their plan would work without a hitch.

Opening his eyes their full way, Thorin gave Balric a small nod before lifting his head ever so slightly as he drew his bound hands closer to himself. Pushing himself up on his forearms, the dark head dwarf hunched over as he rose so as not to draw attention to himself. Balric done the same, both dwarves careful to watch the orcs who were supposed to be watching them, but who's now attention was focused on the fight in front of them.

Rising onto his knees and then into a crouch, Thorin allowed his eyes to quickly scan the area around him for a sign of a weapon of some sort, one he could use against his captors. Balric rose beside him just as the dark haired dwarf was cursing quietly inside his head after a disappointingly weapon less area had finished being surveyed by the dwarf.

"Ready?" Thorin asked in a whisper, sparing a glance for his companion. The brown haired dwarf nodded grimly.

"Let's do this," Balric said in a voice which masked the nerves he could feel fluttering away inside of him.

The two dwarves began to move forward slowly, making a beeline for the denser line of trees surrounding the small clearing they were in. Their footsteps were as quiet as a dwarf's footsteps could be on the dried out leaves covering the ground the same way a shroud covers a body. The pair allowed their feet to glide along the forest floor as they continued to shuffle forward. It surprised Thorin that the orcs had not noticed their quarries attempt to leave, but then again, as he considered the thought in his head, the bastards were pretty well wrapped up in their own personally displayed entertainment as voices rose in the argument of which the air was tense with a barely restrained desire to break it out into a fight.

Under the cover of the racket, Thorin finally made it to the trees where he turned back to keep an eye on Balric who was a little way behind him and had not yet reached the security of the trees. Things, however, then decided to take a turn for the worse, and it was to Thorin's immense horror that Balric tripped, a short cry ripping itself unbidden from his lips. Hidden in the shadows, Thorin winced as silence filled the air, more than twenty orc heads turning to stare at where the brown haired dwarf was now splayed on the ground.

The lead orc gave a harsh bark as he commanded the orcs under his charge to what would be most likely to either retrieve or kill the dwarf. It was him the dark haired dwarf knew they wanted and his initial thoughts were proven right as the small cluster of orcs approaching Balric began to draw their somewhat poor quality weapons. Heart beating hard in his chest, Thorin made up his mind on what to do as the now knife wielding orcs continued to advance on his comrade.

Giving a short battle cry, Thorin barrelled into the orc closest to him - incidentally the one closest to Balric as well. A few shouts of surprise rung in his ears only to be swiftly replaced by shouts of anger. The orcs, it seemed, did not appreciate one of their captives fighting back against them.

Using only his brawn to defend himself and Balric who was trying to heave himself back up, it soon became clear that the two dwarves would once again be overwhelmed. Thorin smiled grimly to himself at this realisation, bonking one orc over the head as best he could with his hands bound as he done so. The dwarfish leader would not go down without a fight, yet, as a large thunk on the back of his head caused his vision to swim and then blacken, the dark haired dwarf knew he would have to depend solely on Dwalin to get both him and Balric out of the situation they were in.

* * *

Kili continued to hover almost on top of the large dwarf he was walking beside as the group of dwarves and dwarflings continued to make its way swiftly back to the village where they could seek further help. Every now and then Dwalin glanced down to the youth at his side and offered a reassuring smile.

"It'll be alright," he said softly each time to the gloomy face which greeted him. Kili could only hope the bald dwarf was right.

Continuing to plod along, the small brunette found himself buried in worry and fear as his young mind thought up multiple scenarios of what could be happening or could have already happened to his kin to fill in the dark unknown which was driving him mad. Despite what Dwalin thought, Kili did not entirely believe his brother and uncle were both alright, and it was maddening that they were walking _away_ from the two heirs of Durin not towards them so that they could help, and once they did reach the village, Kili had no doubt that he would most likely be left behind.

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**Please review.**


	12. Emotions to stay

**Sorry for the long update. This chapter gets funny towards the end because I lost my idea, but next chapter will be better.**

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**Chapter 12: Emotions to stay**

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"It looks like we found where the orcs camped last night," Fili said half to himself as he looked around the massively disturbed glad. Small little piles of bones from several unfortunate creatures were clumped around the trampled area, about half of the small and shrubby vegetation flattened to the ground.

"Can we stop here for a bit then?" Garvin asked, bending over as he caught his breath, "I wouldn't complain and all because your uncle and the brown haired adult-"

"Balric," Galvin corrected his twin.

"Yes, Balric," Garvin continued, "Like I said, I wouldn't complain because he and your uncle are still out there in need of rescuing, but my legs are killing me." This last part was said with only the emphasis a male child could give it.

"A short rest would be good," his twin agreed, Galvin's own grey eyes flashing with weariness. Merion did not speak, simply looking from the leader of their group to the path that he had suspected the orcs had taken. His own desire was clear; the redhead clearly wanted to go on. Fili himself felt the same way, yet he was also tired, both emotionally and physically.

Weighing the options up in his head, the blonde dwarfling tried his best to come up with a solution, but he was not his uncle no matter how hard he tried to be and nor was he a wizard who could make an answer just magically appear before his eyes. If the four continued on, there would no doubt be some hostilities to follow for tired boys did not mix well with one another. If they paused, however, to avoid this, then the orcs would only further the gap meaning that Fili and the others might never be able to catch up and that was not something the leader of the small group was willing to risk. If such an incident occurred, they would then have to wait for Dwalin and Fili had an ominous feeling that his uncle and Balric

"I'm sorry, but we must continue on," Fili said much to the twin's disappointment and Merion's delight.

"Well, I'm sure my legs still have some life in them," Garvin joked pathetically, the younger dwarfling noting the worrying and almost despairing look in the eyes of his blonde peer and feeling bad for his earlier comment.

"So he says now. The next moment he will be complaining again," Galvin muttered, casting narrowed eyes at his brother who smiled him off. "Let's get moving then," Galvin said, nodding to Fili with a sigh, "We will manage as best we can."

* * *

Life was certainly interesting now that their captors knew they were awake, that much was to say the least. Both Thorin and Balric could only wait, having been bound and then tethered to a tree so the orcs could decide what to do with the prisoners who had attempted to escape.

Thorin had little doubt that he could sit comfortably knowing he would not be killed - though his safety was not that ensured that the dark haired dwarf believed himself to be free of any sort of abuse the orcs saw as amusement - given the fact that the reason both he and Balric had been caught in the first place and not killed along with the other three was because the orcs had known just who he was. Balric on the other hand… If their captors did deem the brown haired dwarf to be too much of a nuisance or a hassle to cart around, then Thorin was fairly sure they would off him as soon as the thought crossed their disturbing cruel and cunning minds, and they would kill Balric slowly too. It was a well-known fact amongst dwarves, or dwarfish warriors to say the least, that there was almost nothing an orc enjoyed more than the sport of seeing how long it would take for whatever or whoever was in their possession to bleed out while being forced to dance the polka to avoid being stabbed by a blade of some sort or burning to death on a bed of coals. Even worse, the beings sometimes used captives they had no use for as training of the most horrific kind, tying the poor fellows to a tree before running them through over and over again before leaving them for the scavenges of the wild. The dwarfish leader did not think he could bare it if such a fate befell his companion.

"We're not going to get out of this, are we?" Balric asked in a despondent voice, eyeing the beings before him with something akin to a hard resignation.

"If Dwalin does not make it here, then no, we have no chance of getting out of this in one piece let alone alive," Thorin replied, seeing no point in sugar-coating the situation.

"But you just might be able to make it out on your own," Balric continued as if he had not heard his king. Thorin stared at him with a disbelieving expression.

"Are you mad?" he hissed, "For I will not leave you in the hands of the likes of these." Had their voices been above anything but a whisper Thorin was almost certain he would have been knocked back out for merely talking and Balric along with him. As it was, his head was still throbbing.

"I would slow you down," he said , nodding to where a deep gash now graced his leg, "And besides, you are far more important than me."

"They would kill you if I escaped," Thorin argued back stubbornly, "If I were left here, however, the same risk would not apply." Or not as readily in any case, the dark haired dwarf thought to himself.

"They can still do plenty of terrible things besides," Balric replied, "In any case, you are leader of our people. If you were to die or be held prisoner some place far away from here there would be no doubt what little good has been done for those once of Erebor would be swiftly undone without your presence. It is your solemn duty _not_ to die."

Thorin did not have a chance to reply for at the next moment orcs were moving towards them, looming and intimidating though the exiled king refused to drop his cold gaze as his eyes bored holes in the heads of his foes. Balric too kept a tight air around him and it was a defiant exterior of which the other dwarf kept up beside his leader as the two tensed to learn their fate.

* * *

"What are you all doing back so soon?" the guard at the gate asked, "You were not due back until two more days."

"Something's come up you buffoon," Dwalin growled, a frown creasing his forehead, "Fetch me Aldrin and Balin. NOW!" The guard went scurrying away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Dwalin's wrath.

Kili watched with apprehensive eyes as the older dwarf turned to face the group of boys still clustered behind him.

"Melvin, take them home," he ordered in a far kinder voice than he had used on the dwarf before. The grey eyed lad nodded and gestured for the rest of the dwarflings to follow him. Kili, however, stayed behind, looking up at the bald warrior before him with large eyes. Dwalin sighed.

"You should follow him, young Kili," he said jerking his head in the direction Melvin had taken, "Go home to your mother. She will be worried enough as it is with your uncle and brother still out there once she learns of what has passed."

Young Kili, however, did not move.

"Very well then," Dwalin breathed heavily, not having the time to chase the dwarfling away, "But do not get underfoot." The youth nodded, round brown eyes still staring up at the larger being.

Dwalin strode on through the gate with Kili dodging his steps the entire way, the other adults who had accompanied his group not far behind. The bald warrior looked towards where a white bearded figure was hurtling itself towards them.

"What has happened?" Balin asked, staring up at his brother with inquisitive eyes.

"Thorin's group had a run in with orcs," Dwalin growled back, waving Aldrin over when he spied the third in command for those of the guard.

"Is everyone alright?" Balin asked, glancing at Kili as he done so as if asking why the youth was there.

"Three of the four dwarves who accompanied Thorin are dead," Dwalin informed his brother with a regretful yet business-like voice, nodding to Aldrin as the dwarf drew up, "There were no casualties amongst the boys, but Thorin and Balric were taken prisoner defending them, and…" the bald warrior trailed off.

"And what?" Balin asked, not happy with the information that had been delivered thus far and dreading further bad news.

"Several of the boys took it upon themselves to go after Thorin and Balric," Dwalin said sourly, "Fili included."

"Dis will skin us all alive if anything happens to him," Balin muttered, "Thorin too."

"We have to get Thorin back first, and as of now, that is our main priority," Dwalin said firmly.

"That is true," Balin said nodding, "I will inform Dis of what has happened." The old dwarf hurried off.

"What would you have us do?" Aldrin asked, turning to face Dwalin.

"We must prepare a party to go after the orcs and get back both Thorin and Balric," Dwalin said, "Least they should be killed or imprisoned."

"I will see what dwarves I can gather," Aldrin replied, nodding his head respectfully before running off.

"And be quick about it. We do not have much time to waste, if any at all," Dwalin called after him. The warrior then began delegating further tasks to the remaining dwarves around him. Once they had all dissipated, the bald warrior began to make his way to the armoury only to be stopped at a small tug at the hem of his tunic. Looking down, Dwalin blinked away his surprise for he had forgotten that Kili was still with him.

"What can I do?" the small lad asked, big round eyes staring up at the older dwarf.

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	13. Words and niceties

**This chapter may not be the best but I am sick so it is about the best you are going to get for me for a small while. In any case, sorry there is no Thorin in this chapter, but I did not feel like writing him. You can be sure he and Balric will be in it next chapter though so yeah. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 13: Words and niceties **

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Kili was unsure of whether or not the large dwarf in front of him had heard.

"What can I do to help?" he repeated refusing to tear his gaze away from the gaze of the adult above him. In the end Dwalin was the first to break away, looking pointedly over the top of the brunette's head.

"You can go home to you mother," the bald warrior said bluntly, tilting his head to look back down upon the dwarfling as he did so. Kili's reaction to these words was violent to say the least.

"But my brother and uncle are still out there," he cried, trying to meet Dwalin's eyes with his own brown ones, but the warrior now refused to look at him again, to meet his desperate and somewhat angry stare.

"And we do not need another dwarfling out there who might just worsen the situation," Dwalin replied much to Kili's horror, "Go home."

"But my-"

"No, Kili," Dwalin growled, finally looking at him, eyes hidden beneath the dwarf's deeply furrowed brow, "I will not have you going back into that forest, not when there is still immense danger about. It would be much safer for you to stay here with your mother."

"Fili is out there," Kili pointed out.

"Fili should be setting a better example for you and the rest of the boys," Dwalin growled. Kili eyed him with no small amount of frustration.

"He's putting his kin first," the youth said, "As uncle taught us, as you taught us."

"He should have come to me first, not sent the rest of you to do it for him," the adult above him said harshly before turning to walk away, "Now go home to your mother. I will not say it again."

"But I can help," the brunette cried after the retreating figure. Dwalin paused, if only for a moment and Kili took the chance to continue on with what he had to say. "Please, I would feel better doing something to help them, rather than sitting and waiting for them to return."

"Your mother would skin me alive, lad," Dwalin sighed as he crouched down to what was roughly Kili's height having returned as the dwarfling had spoken, "As would your uncle if I were to take you into such danger. You are not prepared nor trained enough to face down a pack of orcs and I cannot spend the time watching over you as it will prove a distraction from the task at hand."

"I could help you find them though," Kili said undeterred, resolve as strong as ever, "I know the way to where the orcs attacked us and can lead you there."

"Kili-" Dwalin began, but the youth cut him off.

"I can help, so let me help. Please," he begged unashamedly. Dwalin sighed. He knew full well that the brunette before him was likely to follow them if he were left behind and the dangers of that would be far worse than if he allowed the lad to tag along with a large group of fully trained warriors.

"It may be against my better judgement," the warrior said, "But you leading us to a place where we can track the orcs would help us to find a solution to this quicker, but you must promise me something in return."

"Anything," Kili said, just relieved that he was allowed to go along instead of being left behind.

"You must stay close to me at all times," the bald dwarf said seriously, his eyes betraying the fact that if Kili were to fail to agree to the terms being put forth.

"I will," the small brunette answered. Dwalin regarded him for a moment before continuing on.

"You will do as I say no matter what happens," the bald dwarf said, "And above all, you will not become a part of the action should a fight ensure, which it no doubt will. You are part of this group only so you can lead us to where you last saw your uncle and Fili."

Kili nodded his assent at all this and repeated his earlier phrase, but that was not enough for the seasoned warrior.

"Give me your word," he urged, refusing to take anything less than the solemn promise he had asked for. It was a big thing to ask of a child, yet Kili knew he had no choice if he wanted to help.

"I give you my word," Kili replied in his small voice, fear and excitement set alight within him. Dwalin nodded in acceptance before rising from his crouch back into a more upright pose, wincing as the muscles in his legs cramped and protested the change of position.

"Come then," he said, "For it is time we set forth to find you uncle and brother, as well as the others still out there."

* * *

"Can we _please_ stop if only for a short while," a voice cried behind the blonde setting the overactive dwarfling's teeth on edge. Fili knew Garvin did not mean to be a frustration and yet the young heir found it hard not to snap at his fellow peer.

"A stop would be good as would some food considering we have not eaten since yesterday morning," Galvin put in. Fili ignored the rumbling of his stomach at the elder twin's words.

"Stopping would be a waste of time," Merion snarled, speaking for the first time in a long while causing Fili's head to snap up and around as he stopped short.

"Why?" Garvin challenged, his grey eyes clearly flashing with annoyance at the way the older dwarfling had spoken to him.

"Because we would lose the orcs even more!" Merion growled.

"Yet it won't help if when we find them we are exhausted," Galvin pointed out, agreeing with his brother yet trying to remain reasonable at the same time.

"IF?" Merion asked disbelievingly, his voice raising considerably.

"We must be prepared that we may not catch up to them," Galvin said with no small amount of wisdom and forethought, "This forest is large and none of us know our way around it. There is a good chance that we may just simply get lost." He looked to Fili for support and the blonde sighed knowing he would have to choose a side, something which he was understandably adverse to.

"We continue on," he said in the silence that had appeared in anticipation to his words. Merion grinned in triumph and shot a haughty look towards Garvin who just glowered back at him darkly. Galvin frowned at Fili, as if he had thought the blonde had made the wrong decision.

"Fili-" he began only to have the oldest of the group to cut him off.

"Merion's right," he said, "If we stop now we risk losing the orcs. They are faster than us so we need all the speed we can get."

"They are weighed down by prisoners ," the grey eyed boy pointed out, "And that would slow them down, especially if your uncle and Balric are resisting them. Besides, we still need to eat."

"If you haven't noticed we have no food on us," Fili said bluntly for food had been something he had been thinking about for a while now, "And there is nothing edible around us. We cannot set up a trap for we have nothing to set one up with and we cannot double back to check it for we do not have the time. Likewise we cannot leave the trail to search for berries and other such things for it is likely that, by your own argument, we could become lost. Therefore our best option is to continue on and if we do find something along our path that we can eat, then we can stop."

"As long as you know what you are doing," Galvin said before moving off to drag his twin away from where him and Merion looked like they were about to get into it. Fili did likewise to Merion, ensuring that the red haired dwarfling stayed by his side. The last thing they needed was for a fight to break out between two or more of them.

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	14. Keep bad from worse

**Here you go, Thorin's POV as promised. Fili, however, is not included in here, but he will be next chapter, so don't worry (though this chapter may be a little shorter because of it). Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 14: Keep bad from worse**

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Thorin stared the orc down as the creature slowly moved towards his dwarfish quarries. The exiled king would not cower before his captors, would not show the fear that was eating him alive inside. He was too stubborn for that, too much of a dwarf. The same could be said for Balric.

"So, you're awake," the orc growled above them, "Have been for some time I would gather, or else how could you have tried to escape in such a manner?"

It took everything in Thorin not to spit at the being in front of him.

"No matter," the orcish leader said, brushing the matter aside yet looking distinctly disappointed that he had failed to garner a reaction from his prisoner, "For it did not work."

"What now?" The question was clearly Balric's, the contempt in his voice clearly undisguised. Thorin winced, wishing that the brown haired dwarf had not drawn attention to himself.

"Now we figure out what to do with you," the orc replied with no little malice. His words were exactly what both captive dwarves had been fearing, but bound as they were there was nothing either of them could do.

_I doubt we will be left alone_, Thorin thought bitterly, _they will want their fun and we can do little, if anything, to stop them_.

"I cannot kill you," their captor continued, glaring with an unmasked loathing in the direction of Thorin, "And nor would it be wise to…rough you up, too much. You, on the other hand, I have no need of."

Thorin shivered as the orc's attention turned to Balric who could not help but retract slightly from where their captor was leaning in towards him. If Thorin's hands were not tied and his body not stripped of weapons then the fury simmering inside of him would have bubbled over long ago. As it was, any rash move on his part, unarmed or not, would only serve to make matters worse. Still, it did not help that the dark haired dwarf had the urge to do everything in his power to wipe the sadistic grin off the bastard's face.

_All in good time,_ he thought, holding himself at bay. He would love nothing more than to throttle the being who so relished in the pain and anguish of others.

Balric swallowed audibly beside him as the sneering orc pulled out a wicked looking blade, long and narrow and as twisted as the mind of the knife's owner no doubt was. The foul being ran the tip of it down the side of the brown haired dwarf's face and at the sharp intake of breath from his friend and comrade, Thorin's bound hands clenched unconsciously into fists.

"I wonder what you would look like with a scar or two gracing that ugly mug of yours," the orcish leader mused. Thorin closed his eyes and counted to ten before slowly opening them again, unhappy to find the orc's focus still riveted upon Balric. The dwarfish leader did not like the fact that their captor was toying with them, was taunting them about what he could do, what he would do given the chance, yet there was nothing they could do, he could do and the orc before them knew this well.

"If you're going to mess up my face, why don't you just get on with it?" came the brave voice of Balric beside him.

"Either you have the guts or you don't," Thorin added, unable to keep silent any longer. The orc turned and snarled at him, scarred and weathered lips pulled up against foul and blackening teeth.

"Oh, I have no qualms in harming your companion here," their captor sneered, his voice deadly calm as he pressed his knife harder against Balric's skin, drawing a thin line of blood as he did so.

"Then why not do so here and now?" Thorin challenged, his blue-grey eyes level with the orc's own black ones.

"Because, much to my displeasure," the orc replied, pulling the blade away from Balric's face mush to the relief of both dwarves, "I do not have the time to adjust features. There are things that much be done and you have caused us to waste enough time as it is."

With that, the two dwarves' captor stood and moved away, but not without a backward glance at his quarries, a foul grin upon his face as he tweaked the still unsheathed knife in his hand causing it to glint in the light of the day. Thorin shuddered inwardly at the sight.

_Our prospects are becoming grimmer and grimmer_, he mused, knowing they needed to find a way out of this predicament and soon.

* * *

Dwalin did not like the fact that he needed Kili to lead him to where Thorin was last. He did not like the fact that he needed to find Thorin in the first place, much less rescue him from a bunch of orcs, creatures known for their violent and cruel tendencies. If that did not make matters bad enough, Fili was out there with three other boys, _dwarflings_ searching for his uncle and the one other captive dwarf. The only reassurance the seasoned warrior had of the matter was the fact that the other dwarf with Thorin was Balric, one position below him in commanding the soldiers of their settlement and a damn good soldier.

"You're sure this is the way?" he asked the of the child whom belonged to the bobbing brown head beside him. Kili's dark brown eyes looked up, the wide orbs filled with determination and a seriousness Dwalin had not been certain one the dwarfling's age could possess.

"I am sure," his strangely quiet voice came, no hint of childish emotion evident as the lad managed to somehow hold himself together despite all that had happened. Dwalin shot a small, comforting smile in the direction of the youth.

"So long as you're sure," he said, eyes drifting back to fixate on the forest in front of him, every muscle tense as he awaited for something, anything to happen to take this situation from bad to worse. The warrior had come to expect nothing more with the luck that had befallen the line of Durin since the taking of Erebor, and if fate wanted to take this mishap spiralling on a downward path out completely out of control, it would soon find Dwalin in its way to stop such a thing from happening. No further grief would come to the house he served so loyally, he would make sure of it.

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	15. Different companies

**So, I have updated yet again for you. I hope you like this chapter (my favourite bit is at the end with Dwalin and Kili). Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 15: Different companies**

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"We cannot go on without food and some rest, even if we only take a short while," a voice spoke up from behind the blonde who was doing his best to track the group of orcs they had been chasing for a little over a day now, including the half a day from when they had first begun perusing the orcs. Fili knew the wisdom of the words which Garvin spoke yet he did not know if he could force himself to rest and allow time to pass by when his uncle could be in danger. He was unsure of how to reply to Garvin's complaint yet it did not matter, for Merion spoke quickly in reply.

"We will lose time if we stop," he said in a tight and slightly angry voice.

"We will lose more time if we continue on without stopping and then collapse out of hunger or exhaustion further down the track," Garvin shot back, his own voice sounding just as tense as the redhead which he spoke to.

"You would not be complaining if it were your brother or father or uncle that was caught in their grasps," Merion informed him. Garvin raised an eyebrow.

"Balric and Thorin are not related to me and nor are they related to you," the grey eyed boy implied, "So your eagerness to find these orcs stems from a place I do not know."

"And it is wrong to be eager to want to wipe those vile creatures out?"

"It's not our job to do!"

The small group of dwarflings had come to a halt, two out of the four arguing with each other in rising voices, the other two watching them unsure of what to do. Galvin turned to where Fili was by his side, obviously not wanting to watch this argument any longer.

"While we have stopped I will look around to see if there is anything edible around," the most level headed dwarfling informed the leader of the ragtag little group, "Meanwhile you can see if you can get them to stop fighting once and for all, preferably before things get physical."

"Why me?" Fili asked almost whining. Galvin gave him a look as the corners of his mouth twitched slighting upwards in amusement of the blonde's despair.

"Because you are leading this group, are you not?" the dark haired dwarfling replied. With that he left, leaving Fili staring after him in anguish. Sighing, Fili turned back to where Garvin and Merion were still having an increasingly heated conversation.

"Stop it," the blonde tried weakly, not at all surprised when his two peers ignored him completely.

_This is going to be even harder than I thought_, Fili thought as the pair in front of him bit into each other ferociously. The blonde watched for another moment before giving it another try.

"Stop arguing," he said a little more forcibly this time, yet he was still ignored. If anything, his words seemed to make the level of the argument go up a notch, both Garvin and Merion shouting at each other as much as their voices would allow.

_Galvin's right_, Fili realised as he twiddled his fingers in the effort to come up with a solution,_ this will start to get physical soon, and what is more is the fact that they may very well bring the orcs down upon us or some other predator, maybe even a bear. I need to fix this and fast._

"SHUT UP!" he yelled, bellowing over both of the dwarflings before him. Fili's words finally shocked them into silence, both Garvin and Merion staring at the group leader with shocked, if not a little awed eyes.

"Merion started it," Garvin said quickly, being the first to recover from the shock. Fili frowned.

"I don't care who started it," he said, "But I ended it. Now what is your problem with each other?" The blonde usually did not like spilling his emotions, but in spending an enormous amount of time with a younger brother had taught him that sometimes it was better to get your feelings off your chest instead of letting them just stew.

"My problem with him is the fact that he cannot buck up and take his grievances like a proper dwarf," Merion spat in the direction of Garvin. The grey eyed dwarf, however, was quick to come up with a retort.

"At least I am sane enough not to try to run myself into the ground through trying to find something which we may not even find," Garvin snarled.

"You are soft and have no experience in trekking through the forest," Merion replied.

"And you point is?" Garvin asked, "For you have just as little experience as I do."

"Well, at least I-"

"Enough," Fili cut in, tiring of the endless exchange of words between the two, "Can you both not just get along?"

Both Merion's and Garvin's furious gazes turned upon him and Fili swallowed involuntarily, preparing for a brutal onslaught of words when Galvin appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, his tunic held in his hands like a basket as the grey eyed dwarfling made his way over to the other three, a hefty assortment of berries visible in his makeshift basket.

"I figured these were safe enough to eat," Galvin said, glancing at Fili for reassurance. The blonde nodded in agreement.

"They look safe enough to me," Fili replied before turning back to Merion and Garvin, "How about we take a further break and get some food in us before continuing on?" His voice left no room for argument and soon the four were feasting on the fruits of Galvin's foraging. Fili could only hope full bellies would make everyone more docile and pleasant for he knew the argument was far from over.

_What sort of leader am I if I cannot even get those who are following me to work together without complaint?_ Fili's gaze then drifted to the trees beyond. _I wish Thorin were here with me. He would know what to do._

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Now that they were awake, both Balric and Thorin had the pleasure of being dragged by the orcs through the forest surrounding them. Forced to walk on their own feet, a length of rope was attached to the bonds on their hands which were now tied in front of them thus giving a lead for the orcs to jerk on as much as they wished.

The pace that their captors set did not bode well with Thorin or Balric who winced every now and then as the few injuries they had managed to sustain made themselves known altogether too loudly. Several times one of the two dwarves had tripped, causing them to be hulled along the ground as they struggled to regain their footing. The orcs, it appeared, did not want to stop for anything unless they had to. Thorin was not eager to find out why.

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Dwalin stared down at the gorge below, grimacing at the sight before him. The other dwarves who had joined the search and rescue part had the same horrified looks upon their faces.

"There is no way that we are taking a child down there," Aldrin said beside him, "The poor lad has seen enough as it is and he has done all that you needed of him." Dwalin grunted in acknowledgement but knew that Kili would not take an order to stay behind lightly, not when he had come so far already. Besides, other problems presented itself with that solution.

"Well we cannot leave him here with an adult," Dwalin said, glancing back at where one of the younger dwarves were tasked with ensuring the young dwarfling stayed away from the edge, "There is a chance orcs could come upon them and attack. He would be safer if he stuck with us, but you are right, this is no sight for such young eyes." The bald dwarf was already displeased that four dwarflings had already seen the remains of the vicious fight that no doubt took place here. He certainly wasn't going to make there be a fifth if he could help it.

"Then how are we going to get him down?" Aldrin asked, "How are we going to get ourselves down come to think of it?"

_That is a good question,_ Dwalin mused, staring down at the path they would have taken but was now blocked in such a manner that a full grown dwarf would find it impassable.

"There is no other way around?" he asked, eyes trying to find a safe path in which they could take.

"Not anywhere nearby in any case," Aldrin answered. That was not good news. Dwalin did not want to waste any more time than they absolutely had to in finding a way down for he had the feeling that both Thorin and Balric would soon be needing him if they did not already.

"Alright," Dwalin cried suddenly, pulling away from the edge, "Spread out and see if you can find some way down. I would prefer to not have to go out of our way to find a path that we can take."

The dwarves under his command nodded and did as he had commanded, each scanning a different section of the gorge. After doing a quick survey of his own area, Dwalin then made his way over to where Kili was standing.

"We are going to find them, aren't we?" the young brunette asked in an uncertain voice as the seasoned warrior stopped leaning over him. Dwalin smiled down reassuringly.

"Of course," he replied, "They will be fine, you'll see." Brown eyes smiled softly up at him, the expression still unsure but some of the worry now abated from the lad's eyes.

"I think I've found something," a voice cried out and Dwalin turned to where a fair haired and thick bearded dwarf was gesturing for him to come over.

"Where?" was the first question that sprung from Dwalin's lips. The dwarf he had questioned pointed with one finger.

"There, through the boulders. Some must have shifted sometime before because from here I can clearly see a way down, though it may require a little stooping in certain places."

"Aye," Dwalin said, clapping a hand on the dwarf's shoulder to show his appreciation for the discovery, "Then that is the path we will take. Good eye." A mumbled thanks followed Dwalin as he turned away and pointed out the passage way to the others. "Aldrin, you will go first," he said, "The rest will follow in an orderly fashion. Wait for me at the bottom."

The dwarves around the burly warrior broke off, nodding their understanding at Dwalin's instructions. The bald dwarf watched their movements for several moments to ensure everything was as it should be before making his way over to where he had left Kili before.

"Now lad," he said gently as he crouched down in front of the young dwarfling, "I want you to listen very carefully and follow my instructions exactly." He waited for the brunette to nod his assent before continuing on. "Now we are going to go down to where your uncle and the others fought the orcs," Dwalin informed him, "But I do not want you looking at what is left from the fight. I cannot carry you down the path, but the rocks should block most of it, just keep your gaze fixed to your feet. I will be right behind you the whole time so you do not need to worry about anything, do you understand?" Kili nodded his head again, his eyes wide and fearful. "There's a good lad," Dwalin said, standing once again, taking the time to ruffle Kili's hair, "Now come on, let us go down to meet the others."

With the last few dwarves of the group bringing up the rear, Dwalin followed Kili down the somewhat low and narrow passageway, ensuring that the young dwarfling's head remained down the whole time. Upon reaching the end, the seasoned warrior ordered the child to close his eyes before lifting him and burying the lads face in his chest, carrying the youth over the mass of bodies  
and discarded weapons to where most of the group was waiting on the edge. As the last of the dwarves joined them, Dwalin led his men through the forest, following the tracks of the orcs. It was only when they were a good distance away from the gorge that Dwalin allowed a small break and relinquished his small burden.

"You can open your eyes now," the burly warrior said softly, crouching down again to Kili's height. At his words, the dwarfling slowly reopened his eyes, staring up at Dwalin who offered him another smile. "You alright?"

Kili nodded his head and Dwalin ruffled his hair once again.

"Then let us continue onwards, for we have a few of your wayward kin to find."

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	16. Different ways to traverse

**A little bit of a filler but here you go. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 16: Different ways to traverse**

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With full bellies and well rested feet, the small group of four continued on. Garvin seemed happy enough just to follow Fili's lead, having gotten what he had wanted, what he had needed to fulfil his body's physical desires, and was now able to focus his mind back on the matter at hand. Galvin too was peaceful, for though he still worried for the outcome the four dwarfling's little excursion would bring, the older of the two twins seemed glad to not have someone snapping at another's throat like rabid dogs fighting over a scrap of meat. Merion was also subdued, seething yet subdued. Fili did not know the exact reason why the redhead was angry, yet the he knew that it was an anger not directed at him in any case. Merion seemed perfectly fine in following the blonde.

Not for the first time Fili wondered whether this venture to get back his uncle and Balric from the orcs had been the smartest of ideas.

It was nerve racking knowing the others were looking to him to lead them to the orcs and their prisoners, looking to him for a plan, looking to him to ensure they were not harmed. They trusted him to not lead them astray and it was that very trust which had Fili so anxious. What if he did make a mistake? What if he failed in a task he set out to do? Three pairs of eyes, eyes belonging to children no less, might not have been menacing to most, but to Fili they were his worst nightmare, the preface to the ghost that would haunt him for years should he not achieve what he set out to do.

_I cannot give up now,_ Fili admonished himself, _not when we have come so far already. _

Taking a deep breath, the blonde youth quickly glanced behind him, ensuring that the three who had accompanied him were still there. He then looked to a branch hanging just before his face, ripping a strip of cloth of what was left over from his cloak which, having been selected to be torn to shreds in order to create markers, was only a short length of fraying material. His mother would all but kill him when he got home and she saw what he had done to a perfectly good piece of clothing.

It was funny that, in all his worry and despairing, Fili was worried over such an unimportant and irrelevant thing such as his mother's temper about the way he treated his clothes. Then again, Fili was always one to worry about everything. The blonde held the fear of failing both himself and his family above all else, and the burden which the fear brought upon him was not one that could be easily shaken off. He could only hope it was a fear which would never come true.

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Walking along in a subdued silence, Thorin had time to think. At first he thought of ways in which both he and Balric could escape, but with their hands bound in front of them and surrounded on all sides by orcs who were in a much fitter state than either of the two captive dwarves Thorin soon deemed the task all but hopeless.

The dark haired leader's mind then drifted onto darker thoughts, thoughts of a much more vicious and enjoyable nature. Thorin resented being tugged and dragged along like a dog on a lead and his wrists were sore from where the thick and twisted rope was constantly rubbing against them, both facts of which he used to fuel his imagination in order to create fitting deaths for each and every orc which belonged to the foul group that boxed him in on all sides. The demise of the imaginary orcs in Thorin's head ranged over many levels, some of the most initiative being slowly cooking the vile creatures over a fire, and burying them alive whilst being pinned under a heavy boulder. These images faded away and soon a third thought came to mind, however, and a single face enveloped the exiled king's mind.

Fili; in all his focusing on the problem at hand, namely the one where both he and Balric were prisoners of a group of bloodthirsty orcs, Thorin had forgotten about his nephew. No, not so much as forgotten as pushed the matter aside. Now, however, he had the time to think about his eldest nephew and the blonde's brother too; whether they were still alive, whether they had found Dwalin, whether they were safe and sound back in the village waiting upon his return anxiously with their mother. He could only hope he would be able to relieve their worries and fears upon his return, for he would return as would Balric. No more lives would be lost to the consequences of events that had unfolded over the last few days, he swore to it.

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"So they are following the orcs," Aldrin stated, closing his eyes as the four sets of small boot prints amongst the ground that had been churned up by the orcs imprinted themselves in his mind, the footsteps of the stray dwarfling's thankfully fresher than that of those of the orcs.

"It would seem so," Dwalin replied grimly, his voice gruff and face blank.

"Durin help us," Aldrin muttered, reopening his eyes as he stared down at the tracks yet again. He sighed, another thought popping into the dwarf's head. "At least we do not need to go after them separately."

"I see some good comes out of this predicament," Dwalin growled as he strode along, ensuring Kili remained close by his side, "Though not enough to make it right. What were they thinking?"

"You can ask them when we find them," Aldrin informed him.

"I plan to," came the rumbled response. Dwalin had no idea why Fili of all the dwarflings he and Thorin had brought with them on the trip into the woods had seen the need to pursue those who had taken his uncle and Balric. It was an ill thought out move on his part and the seasoned warrior could have sworn the blonde youth had been taught better than to go rushing headlong into things by Thorin no less. The only thing Fili had ensured was the fact that Dwalin now had more work on his hands than he would have had if the young heir had chosen not to go traversing off into the wild.

_Right now I need to focus on finding Thorin and my second-in-command_, Dwalin berated himself, _and then I can worry about errant dwarflings._

A tugging on his tunic forced an irate growl from the bald dwarf's lips, and without thinking Dwalin brushed away the small hands which returned with a persistent vengeance. Dwalin brushed them away again, trying to decipher which track was what. The orcs, it seemed, were making an effort to cover their trail, but the four dwarflings were not.

"Do they know nothing?" Aldrin couldn't help but exclaim out loud, "These tracks are so obvious anyone or anything could follow them."

"They clearly need to be taught the basics of following someone," another dwarf piped up. There were a few grunts of agreement.

"Maybe they wanted us to see where they were going," a young voice suddenly cut through. Dwalin turned to see Kili standing, a strip of fabric in his hands.

"What have you got there, lad?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in expectance. All eyes turned to the brown haired youth and Kili suddenly shrank in on himself, the attention making him bashful.

"Part of Fili's cloak," he managed to get out softly, his eyes looking straight into Dwalin's. The seasoned warrior's frown deepened.

"And where did you find that?"

"Tied to that branch," he said, pointing. Dwalin let out a rush of air as he realised what Fili must have done.

"Markers," Aldrin said in disbelief, "They wanted us to follow them."

"There should be more further along if that is the case," Dwalin replied as he turned to face the dwarf who had just spoken.

The seasoned warrior nodded to the rest of the dwarves around them and continued on, eyes this time scanning not the ground in front of them, but the low hanging tree branches around. It was not long until they drew up short, Aldrin's short cry announcing that another strip of cloth had been found.

_So they are markers,_ Dwalin thought to himself, approval for what was most likely Fili's idea swelling up inside of him.

"It appears we have more than just tracks to follow the orcs," Dwalin heard himself say aloud, "So keep an eye out for any further markers." This was going to make their job a lot easier provided the group of dwarflings they were now following as well did not stray off track.

The group began moving again, Kili, as always, right by Dwalin's side. The young brunette was fiddling with the strip of his brother's cloak in his hands, a small crease lining his forehead as he did so. It was with thoughtful brown eyes that he looked from the scrap of cloth to Dwalin and then back to the scrap of cloth before heaving a sigh.

"We'll find them in time, won't we?" he asked to the open air and it took Dwalin a short while to realise that the young dwarfling had been directing the question at him.

"We can only hope," the tattooed dwarf replied, worry flowing through his own veins.

"Uncle says Fili can take care of himself well enough," Kili continued as if the adult beside him had not spoken, but Dwalin was not hurt by the ignorance.

"Does he now?" he murmured, voice too low for the brunette below him to hear.

"And he always takes care of me so there's that too," Kili was continuing, "He would be telling me not to worry and be brave like him and uncle. Uncle can take care of himself too, and he slayed the pale orc and mister Balin says he saved both his and your life on several occasions, so I think uncle will also look out for the other dwarf with him and he wouldn't be scared because he has faced orcs before and won and-"

The optimistic rambling of the small youth washed over Dwalin, somehow soothing the parts of him that were seeping out the highest levels of anxiety. Though Kili sounded as if he were only trying to convince himself that his kin would be fine, the child's words were true and that was what comforted the big warrior. He had forgotten, in his worry, that this was Thorin Oakenshield they were dealing with as well as his first heir and nephew. Both were strong willed and stubborn, traits which had been passed down to them from generation to generation from the direct descendants of the line of Durin. Both could be depended on to do the right thing. Both still stood a fair chance in face of the odds stacked against them, and both would return home safely, Dwalin would see to it himself.

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**Please review. Thanks to all who have so far. :) **

**Guest reviewer - in answer to your question; why is Kili acting like a child when he is over 40 years old? He is the dwarf equivalent of around eleven, but I may or may not have (as mentioned in first chapter) stuffed that up a bit. Thanks for reviewing though. :)**


	17. The finding of one

**This may not be the best chapter but the action is going to pick up again next chapter I can promise you that. For now, enjoy. **

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**Chapter 17: The finding of one**

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The sun was sinking lower overhead, yet Fili did not let that little fact phase him. The glowing orb of yellow light had not yet touched the tops of the trees and darkness had not begun to spread its tendrils of inky blackness over the sky. The group of dwarflings still had a considerable amount of time before they would have to take shelter somewhere to rest and this time round set up a watch system. Fili would not make the same mistake twice.

"Do you hear that?"

The question which pierced the silence that the blonde had allowed to build up came from the youngest of the twins, Garvin's grey eyes flashing to Fili before flicking back to stare straight ahead.

"Hear what?" Galvin asked, confused. His twin turned to him, a small crease marking his brow.

"Up ahead," Garvin replied, "It's faint, but it sounds like heavy marching."

"Are you sure?" Fili asked, a flutter of thrill running through his chest. The youngest of their group nodded solemnly and leaving Fili to marvel at his hearing.

"I can hear it too," Merion called softly.

Fili turned to the redhead, frowning in thought before pausing to listen to the sounds around him. At first there was nothing save the normal sounds of the life in the forest and then there it was, a sound so faint yet so loud to the blonde's ears, a sound which sent both chills of terror and bubbles of excitement through him. It would seem that, after the time they had spent following the tracks of his uncle's kidnapers they had finally caught up with those they sought, or mostly anyway.

"What now?" Galvin asked as he looked around at the area surrounding the four warily as if he expected orcs to come charging out of the foliage. Fili thought for a second before motioning for the others to stay where they were.

"Wait here," he said quietly, "I'll see if I can spot anything from above."

The others nodded, faces serious as Fili ran ahead a few paces before coming to a tall tree bearing many thick branches. The blonde began to ascend up the tree, locking one foot at the base of the trunk before pulling himself up with his arms, careful in avoiding any branch which looked as though it could not support his weight. Fili climbed higher and higher, the noise created by the marching orcs fading with both height and distance, spurring himself onward right up until he reached the top.

Poking his head through the leafy canopy in an attempt to peer through the trees around him. The echoes of wicked laughter was carried to the blonde dwarf on the wind and Fili turned his head to look in the direction it had come from. That was when he glimpsed it, through the gapes in the leafy green a flourish of movement which could only be the orcs, and a lot of them.

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Thorin grunted as he was pushed from behind, feet stumbling over the stretched out roots of a large and ancient tree before finding more reliable ground upon which he could regain his bearing. He was shoved in the back again, this time with the hard shaft of a spear, the rough wood scratching the dark haired dwarf's skin through the fabric of his tunic. Thorin restrained a curse directed at the orc responsible which threatened to break free and continued on, simmering in a helpless rage yet unable to do anything about it.

Across from him, Balric fell to his knees amidst the harsh laughter of their captors. The brown haired dwarf struggled to rise, almost landing face first on the ground as the rope linking to the bindings around his wrists was jerked cruelly. Thorin could only watch on, willing his friend and companion to find his feet lest the orcs should set upon him and he be humiliated further, and only moments after this thought had passed through his mind it was as if the dwarfish leader's prayers were being answered, Balric standing once again against all odds. The brown haired dwarf steadied himself in mid stride, holding his head high as he done so as if challenging the orcs to try and take his pride away from him. Durin knows they tried.

Thorin had never felt so filthy in all his life, and it was not just the dirt which stuck to him from having been thrown in and dragged through vast amount of dirt nor the small patch of dried blood staining his side from a wound which still pained him. It was the orcs themselves who gave the exiled king the feeling he were covered in the foul contents of a bog. A sense of murkiness seemed to roll off them in waves, clouding Thorin's mind and thickening the air surrounding the company. It was this murkiness which was the cause for the heavy shadow weighing upon the shoulders of the great Thorin Oakenshield and Balric too. This shadow was what kept the two dwarves from straightening their backs and walking with a defiant spring in their step. It could have almost been said the pair were defeated, yet, despite all appearances, this was far from true. The spark of a burning inferno was still embed deep within both leader and warrior, this one spark the one thing keeping them both fighting, keeping them both from just laying down and accepting their fate. The hate that could be seen in both eyes of grey-blue and brown for the orcs around them was created by this single spark, hate which kept their heads clear yet could cause trouble just as easily.

Thorin's eyes burnt holes into the back of the orc walking in front of him. He despised these beings the most out of all other races that walked Middle Earth. They had taken almost everyone he loved from him; grandfather, brother and father all lost to him because of them. There was still a chance that Thrain was still alive, wandering lost in his grieving madness somewhere unknown to his only surviving son, yet that hope was slowly dwindling away. Thror and Frerin, however, were never coming back from where they had gone, and nor was Dis' husband. Each had been a good dwarf even if Thror had been a little mad towards the end and Thorin would never stop blaming himself for each death. The only thing he could do to relieve the pain was to extract his anger and sorrow out on those who were responsible, except now it looked like he too would fall victim to the death that followed the orcs in their wake and Dis would then have to learn to continue on alone with her two sons.

_Hurry Dwalin,_ Thorin silently begged, _for I do not think I could stand myself if I were to leave them to fend for themselves_.

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"It's the orcs," Fili said, sliding back down the trunk of the tree to where the twins and Merion awaited him, "Looks like we have caught up to them."

"Finally," Garvin muttered aloud, "Now we can stop walking." Galvin elbowed his brother in the ribs, shooting him a reprimanding glare which resulted in a sheepish Garvin to fidget uncomfortably.

"What are we waiting for?" Merion asked a little too viciously for Fili's liking, "They're right there."

"First of all, an attack might work better if we waited until they stopped for the night," Galvin said, ever the voice of reason, "Secondly, it might do for you to remember we are only four untrained dwarflings."

"We have surprise on our side," Merion countered, his eyes flashing with hunger for action.

"It may not be enough to ensure us our lives," Galvin shot back, being sure to keep his voice low lest those which they had been hunting were to hear. The dark haired dwarf turned his grey eyes upon Fili, silently asking for the blonde to cast judgement.

"Galvin is right," Fili agreed, "We need to wait until they stop for we can do nothing of use while they are on the move. We can, however, gauge the situation."

"What? Like spy?"

The words were Garvin's and it was to him that Fili directed a crafty smile.

"I suppose you could put it that way," the blonde acknowledged, "In any case, we will have to follow them. I have no wish to lose the orcs now of all times."

"And then what?" Galvin asked, eyeing the appointed leader of the group with unmasked concern, "Do you have a plan?"

"Not as of yet," Fili admitted, "But I will think of one soon enough. In the meantime we should focus on staying out of sight."

The others nodded at him, once again showing their willingness to follow his orders, whether they be the right ones or not for Fili could not help but hold a little flame of doubt that instead of following the orcs, they should wait for actual adults to come and handle the situation. The temptation was too great, however, and the young blonde could not let a chance of saving his uncle and the other dwarf slip through his fingers. He would feel guilty if something were to happen to the three dwarflings who followed him so persistently, but, short of one of the three dying, Fili knew he would never escape himself if something were to happen to his uncle and he had the means to have stopped it, whatever it could have been. The only other guilt that would have the ability to crush any feelings stemming from a failure to help his uncle would be the guilt brought on by failing his brother, but Kili was not here and not for the first time Fili was grateful he had sent his brother to safety.

"Come on," the blonde muttered to his companions, gesturing with his hands as he began to move, being sure to remain a fair distance behind the orcs. He had yet to see his uncle or Balric, or even the entirety of the orcs' company, but Fili knew the two dwarves were there, and somehow he was going to save them.

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